Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best bowlers in the world currently but it was his performance against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore that propelled him into stardom.
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Jasprit Bumrah has been on song in the ongoing Pink Ball Test against Sri Lanka. On a pitch assisting the spinners more, Jasprit Bumrah picked up his eighth five-wicket haul in just his 29th Test. Having taken five-wicket hauls in England, South Africa, Australia, and the West Indies, Jasprit Bumrah has already taken more five-wicket hauls than many other pacers in the past era. The exploits of Bumrah have made him one of the greatest bowlers that India has ever had.
The brilliance of Bumrah, especially at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, harks back to the time when he made his debut as a young pacer in the IPL. Bumrah, playing for the Mumbai Indians, faced up to Royal Challengers Bangalore. That side included Virat Kohli, and Chris Gayle. It was a batting line-up that was intimidating and destructive. Bumrah, though, was not intimidated by the opposition and he went on to produce a masterclass in bowling.
In a packed and hostile environment, Jasprit Bumrah stepped up to bowl in the fifth over. A short, horse-like gallop with an unorthodox, shoulder-heavy action, all eyes were on the youngster. The beginning was not so good for the youngster. Bumrah was hammered for three fours by Virat Kohli and it felt that nerves would get the better of him. But, in the fifth ball of his first over, Bumrah slanted a full ball into the pads of Kohli. The RCB skipper missed the flick shot and was rapped on the pads. Bumrah appealed for an LBW and the umpire gave it out.
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The victory cry that Bumrah let out showed how much the wicket meant for him. Having gotten the massive wicket of Kohli, Bumrah then went on to take the wickets of Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Bumrah ended with figures of 4-0-32-3. Although Mumbai Indians lost the match by two runs, Bumrah’s performances impressed everyone.
After his exploits in the IPL 2013, Bumrah achieved greater fame. In one edition, he bowled AB de Villiers as the batter attempted to scoop a yorker-length ball. The send-off that Bumrah gave AB de Villiers showed his cockiness and the instinct to be aggressive. Bumrah was one of the spearheads that gave Gujarat their first title win in the Ranji Trophy in 2016/17.
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Bumrah was then selected in the Indian team for the ODI series against Australia. After impressing in the ODI in Sydney, Bumrah helped India whitewash Australia 3-0 in the T20Is. From that point in time, Jasprit Bumrah was India’s gun bowler in all conditions.
He took five-wicket hauls in England, South Africa, and Australia as well as in the West Indies. In all the matches where he took a five-wicket haul, India won the Test. Bumrah’s exploits in overseas conditions saw India win a series in Australia twice. They secured memorable wins in England, South Africa, and the West Indies. Against the West Indies, he ended up taking a hat-trick, joining Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan.
Apart from his brilliance in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is for India, Bumrah is a bonafide IPL superstar. In 106 matches in the IPL, Bumrah has taken 130 wickets. This includes a haul of 27 wickets in one edition of the IPL which was in 2020. In an act of providence, Bumrah’s 100th wicket was also against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He took Virat Kohli’s wicket. Thus, Bumrah became one of the few players to take the same batsman as his first and 100th wicket.
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His death-bowling skills and ability to nail the yorkers were honed by the likes of Lasith Malinga in Mumbai Indians. It is this capability that has made Bumrah one of the greatest in the business. His first and 100th wicket was Virat Kohli. This feat itself makes him a superman. Thus, it is a credit to the IPL that it gave us a gem in the form of Jasprit Bumrah.
