Jasprit Bumrah's "Body Language" For MI In IPL 2026 Raises Concern: "Not The Same As In World Cup"
Five matches, zero wickets. That's the number for Bumrah in IPL 2025. Stunning as it may be, India's No. 1 pacer has not been able to make a dent
Five matches, zero wickets. That's the number for Bumrah in IPL 2025. Stunning as it may be, India's No. 1 pacer has not been able to make a dent. It's not that Bumrah has been too costly, but by the very high standards he has set for himself, a wicketless run of five matches does seem odd. Bumrah's no-wicket run has coincided with MI's poor campaign. The five-time champions are ninth on the points table, with four losses in five matches.
Former India star Wasim Jaffer wondered whether Bumrah was fully fit. "I feel that Jasprit Bumrah is not 100 per cent fit, to be honest. This is my perception and my belief. When we are watching Bumrah bowl, the body language we are seeing is not the same as what we saw in the World Cup or even before that. So I sometimes feel that he is not at his best. Because Jasprit Bumrah does not usually miss his lengths like this, and he does not usually get hit like this. If he were 100 per cent fit, I cannot imagine Jasprit Bumrah bowling like this and continuing like this. So I feel that somewhere he is not 100 per cent fit," Jaffer was quoted as saying on ESPNCricinfo by News18.
"It feels like the zing in Bumrah's bowling is missing. It seems like the ball which used to come in quickly and hit the bat hard is slightly lacking now. Form doesn't always stay the same, and it's not like Bumrah will bowl brilliantly every time or have a great spell in every match. Right now, it feels like he is going through a phase where things are not quite working."
Bumrah was smacked for 41 runs in four overs as Punjab Kings chased down the target of 196 with 21 balls and seven wickets to spare in their IPL contest on Thursday.
"Bumrah is bowling well; it's just that we are not putting pressure on in the powerplay," MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene told reporters after the match.
"They (the opposition) know they don't need to take too much risk against Bumrah. We tried a few different things, which he is trying as well, but they are batting well. I can't put a finger on something and say that he hasn't taken a wicket."
The former Sri Lankan captain revealed that Bumrah carried a niggle at the start of IPL 2025 but has pulled up well since
Jasprit Bumrah
Mumbai Indians