Jasprit Bumrah, India’s most feared fast bowler, is going through the strangest phase of his IPL career. He has not taken a single wicket in his last 5 IPL matches over two seasons.
His last wicket in the IPL came before the last match of the 2025 season. In IPL 2026 he has now gone 4 matches without troubling the scorers.
According to CricViz, he has bowled 122 consecutive balls without a wicket. It is the longest dry spell of his entire IPL career.
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The numbers from his last 5 outings make for uncomfortable reading. He went for 0/40 in 4 overs against PBKS in Ahmedabad in IPL 2025.
In IPL 2026, he returned 0/35 against KKR at Wankhede, 0/21 against Delhi Capitals in Delhi and 0/32 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Don’t forget that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, smashed him for a six on the very first ball he bowled in this match.
He took 0/35 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede last night as RCB posted a massive 240/4. Even so, Jasprit Bumrah was MI’s most economical bowler on the day. That tells you that his control and skill with the ball is very much alive.
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Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has come to Bumrah’s defense at X. He says the wicket narrative is completely meaningless.
According to Ashwin, at high-scoring venues like the Wankhede, Bumrah’s ability to nail yorkers and strangle the run-rate is far more valuable than his wickets. He also pointed to Lasith Malinga’s thinking on defensive bowling partnerships.
“When you can’t bowl overs at the trot, your wicket-taking ability depends on your partners handing it to you. We’ve had so many years of T20 cricket and partnership bowling as a defensive group is still a germ in the minds of bowling groups. Malinga nailed it when he spoke during the 10th over,” Ashwin wrote.
Ashwin’s post went viral and received nearly 4 million views. Social media users reacted.
“You are right that Bumrah can bowl even more economically today if he didn’t try for wickets. Frustration after 19 shows despite it all,” wrote one.
Read also | ‘Je baap of AB de Villers’ – Internet reacts after Suryavanshi hits Bumrah
“People who only see the numbers will say… those who understand the game know what he did today,” another user wrote.
One user pointed out: “The problem with Bumrah is that sometimes he tries too many things. Malinga was simple: nail yorkers mix speeds. Bumrah should also use a wide yorker. He almost never misses it.”
“Even if Jasprit Bumrah goes wicketless, it’s unreal – like something in the script of cricket has just gone wrong,” chimed in another.
Zaheer Khan to Bumrah for no wicket
Zaheer Khan, MI’s former global director of cricket development, offered a different perspective. He told Cricbuzz that opposition teams might just be playing Bumrah very conservatively. They refuse to take chances against him and deliberately deny him goals.
The captain’s decision on how Bumrah is used can also be a factor, the former pacer added. His advice to Bumrah was straightforward. He asked the pacemaker to be more aggressive and not wait for something to come at him.
“It can happen. But it also has to do with the fact that if you’re playing against Bumrah, you either decide not to give him a wicket no matter what, be careful against him, play conservatively, don’t look too aggressive,” Khan said.
With 183 career IPL wickets at an average of 22.69, Jasprit Bumrah’s class is undeniable. Mumbai Indians take on the Punjab Kings on April 16 and most fans will be watching to see if the wait is finally over.
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