Jasprit Bumrah, captaincy, and a smiling assassin searching for form
Jasprit Bumrah had a beaming smile after Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. Truth be told, it was an inconsequential game for MI, having already bowed out of the tournament. But hidden beneath it was a significant moment for Bumrah: he was captaining MI for the first time. As it worked out, Bumrah ended up leading the Indian team before donning the captaincy hat for MI.
Ever since he dismissed Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair in an IPL game in 2013, Bumrah has been an integral part of the set-up through thick and thin. MI too have taken great care of their crowning jewel, especially when the pace bowler suffered a left knee injury back in 2014.
Unfortunately for MI, the champion fast bowler has been going through a barren patch in IPL 2026: just three wickets in 12 matches and at a strike rate of 128. So what could be the issue? He is probably exhausted due to the hectic schedule. And that could be the essence of Bumrah attempting all those slower deliveries this season. For a connoisseur, Bumrah is at his very best when he virtually forces batters to make mistakes.
Bumrah could be down with a niggle too; the pace bowler did check in at the Centre of Excellence before the start of the IPL. In that context, there was a case for Bumrah to be rested. The pace bowler has had back injuries, and back problems are recurring in nature.
If you delve deeper into Bumrah’s lack of form, renowned pace-bowling coach Steffan Jones made a succinct observation on his strides. “Bumrah is probably the best bowler at the minute,” he told RevSportz. “A lot of people will agree with that. But here is the key point – as long as you have four strides into the wicket that are natural and cyclical – by that, I mean the running – Bumrah walks to the wicket but still gets those four strides in.
“I watched the last game at the Wankhede (against Sunrisers Hyderabad), I think there was a little hump, and it ruined those last four strides. And his last four strides looked different. That is why he probably did not have the game he wanted.”
In Bumrah’s defence, the pace bowler hasn’t looked completely out of sorts. In the MI-PBKS game, in his opening burst, Bumrah did open up Prabhsimran Singh with a delivery that left him after pitching, only for the slip fielder to grass a simple chance. If that catch had been taken, it would have boosted the confidence of the paceman. He also hasn’t lost any of his abilities with the old ball: the way Bumrah generated swing in the slog overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru provides enough evidence.
Bumrah, on his part, noted: “Actually, I don’t want to park it. Cricket gives you good days, you take it,” he said to the host broadcaster. “When it gives you challenges, it has come to teach you something. So, I take it in my stride, try to learn from it and accept it fully because this is the beauty of cricket.”
Bumrah’s rather philosophical take indicates his rock-solid temperament. And his mental strength should be enough for him to once again wear the hat of a smiling assassin.
The post Jasprit Bumrah, captaincy, and a smiling assassin searching for form appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
Comments
Post a Comment