Jasprit Bumrah has one of the greatest careers in the IPL!
During the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL), a 19-year-old bowler burst onto the scene and captured instant attention - Jasprit Bumrah, now recognised as one of the IPL's premier bowlers! Bumrah has been a mainstay for the Mumbai Indians (MI) since his debut, playing a pivotal role in the franchise's five IPL title victories. Over the years, Bumrah has evolved into a formidable opponent for batsmen in the IPL, often delivering crucial performances that have led MI to victory in challenging matches. In this article, let's reminisce about the five most remarkable bowling spells of Jasprit Bumrah's IPL career.
Jasprit Bumrah made his debut against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 4, 2013. Virat Kohli came to the crease after RCB lost their first wicket while batting first, needing just three runs to win. In the fifth over, Bumrah came into the attack and took the vital wicket of Kohli. Bumrah maintained his brilliant form by getting rid of Mayank Agarwal and getting Karun Nair out for a duck. He ended up with a 3/32 figure. MI lost the game by a mere 2-run margin, in spite of Bumrah's best efforts. But Bumrah's debut demonstrated his potential and made him an indispensable member of MI going forward.
In the crucial qualifier-2 match of the 2017 IPL season at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, MI chose to field after winning the toss. Jasprit Bumrah claimed his first victim, Chris Lynn, and later dismissed Robin Uthappa during the powerplay. With KKR struggling at 101/8 in the 17th over, Bumrah further dashed their hopes by removing Suryakumar Yadav. He finished with impressive figures of 3/7, as KKR were bundled out for 107. MI secured a comfortable victory, advancing to the finals.
In the final of the 12th IPL season, Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional bowling performance took centre stage. After the Mumbai Indians set a target of 150 runs for the Chennai Super Kings, Bumrah made an impact early by dismissing Ambati Rayudu when CSK were at 73/3. In the crucial 19th over, he claimed the wicket of Dwayne Bravo, tilting the match in Mumbai's favour. The narrow one-run victory secured the Mumbai Indians the IPL title, with Bumrah rightfully awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding contribution.
Bumrah celebrating a wicket
In the first qualifier of IPL 2020, the Delhi Capitals opted to field after winning the toss against the Mumbai Indians. Mumbai posted a formidable total of 200 runs, giving them a significant advantage. In reply, the Delhi Capitals stumbled, losing their first three wickets without a run on the board. Jasprit Bumrah played a pivotal role, dismissing opener Shikhar Dhawan and then removing DC skipper Shreyas Iyer. Despite Marcus Stoinis's resistance, Bumrah halted his progress at 65 runs and swiftly followed up with the wicket of Daniel Sams. The Mumbai Indians secured a convincing 57-run victory, propelling them to the final.
In the 56th match of the 15th IPL season, the Mumbai Indians chose to field after winning the toss against the Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR's batsmen seemed poised to exceed the 200-run mark until Jasprit Bumrah intervened. After dismissing power hitters Andre Russell and Nitish Rana in the same over, Bumrah continued his dominance by claiming three more wickets in the 18th over. Even after his remarkable effort of 5/10 in 4 overs, Mumbai suffered a 52-run defeat. Bumrah's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award once again.
Bumrah still has the best years of his career yet to come. So, he will probably have many more performances to enthrall us.
