Former England captain Michael Vaughan was full of admiration for Jasprit Bumrah after the Indian pacer’s sensational performance in the 2026 Men’s World Cup T20 final against the New Zealand national cricket team in Ahmedabad last Sunday.Bumrah produced a historic spell to return figures of 4 for 15 in the title race. He thus became the first fast bowler to take four wickets in an elimination match in the history of the tournament. The performance also took his tally to 40 wickets in all his T20 World Cup appearances, the most by a pace bowler, achieved while maintaining an impressive economy rate of just 5.66.
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During a discussion on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Vaughan made a bold claim when he said that Bumrah is the best bowler he has seen in all his years of watching the game. The former England captain went as far as comparing the Indian speedster to global football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and highlighted the impact he can have on the team.“Put Jasprit Bumrah in the England team and they will win it,” he said.Former England batsman Mark Butcher was quick to agree with the assessment.“I reckon if you put him on anyone’s team, he’s going to win.“Exactly,” added Vaughan. “He’s probably like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo – those kinds of players.”However, the conversation took an interesting turn when former England cricketer David Lloyd reminded Vaughan of his earlier statement.“Didn’t you say he was the best pitcher you ever saw?” Lloyd asked.Vaughan stood by his opinion.“Yes it is. You have to remember I started watching or studying cricket in 1985 and it’s the best I’ve ever seen.”Another former England captain, Alastair Cook, offered a slightly more measured view. While acknowledging Bumrah as the leading multi-format bowler in world cricket today, Cook wondered if the Indian pacer had produced a truly iconic match-winning spell in Test cricket.“Is he the best in terms of match-winning spells in Test cricket? Without a shadow of a doubt, I think he is the best bowler in all formats. I think you can say that for sure. But has he bowled a spell like 8/15 in a Test match, or is he not that kind of bowler?” he asked.However, Vaughan was quick to defend Bumrah’s record.“I saw him a bit in Australia. Some of the spells were different – even on the flat decks.”Interestingly, the stats suggest that Bumrah has actually delivered some outstanding performances in the longest format. The Indian pacer has taken eight or more wickets in a Test match on eight occasions, with six of those attempts coming on tough overseas tours of England, South Africa and Australia. On three of those occasions, his performances also earned him Man of the Match awards.
