Mumbai Indians’ star fast bowler Yorker King Jasprit Bumrah is struggling with a wicket drought in the ongoing IPL. Bumrah, who has played five matches in the tournament, is yet to take a wicket. This is considered to be the longest wicketless season of his career. Which has surprised the fans. Jasprit Bumrah, once considered the biggest hero of Mumbai Indians, has proven to be cheap for the team this season. He is not able to take wickets or control runs, which has become a major concern for the management.
So far in the ongoing IPL, Bumrah has bowled against Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. In these matches, he has conceded a total of 164 runs and has an economy rate of 8.63. On average, he has conceded around 8-9 runs per over, which is not bad in a high-scoring IPL, but wickets are always expected from a strike bowler like Bumrah. Bumrah’s performance is a complete contrast to his brilliant IPL career. He is usually considered a match-changer, but this time the batters are finding him easy. Mumbai Indians are struggling due to Bumrah’s lack of form. The team has lost four matches in a row. They are ninth in the points table.
Why is Bumrah failing?
Batsmen are now playing against Bumrah with more aggression and confidence than before. Earlier, batsmen were cautious and hesitant to try and play big shots just by taking Bumrah’s name. But now they are playing without fear. There has been a clear change in their batting approach to face his ball, which is affecting Bumrah’s ability to take wickets.
In addition, there has been a significant change in his bowling plan. Bumrah’s form is not a major problem, but he is increasingly using slower deliveries. This season, he has bowled about 44% of his deliveries as slower deliveries, which has reduced his average speed to about 130 kmph. Batsmen are ready for these slower deliveries and can play them with ease. If Bumrah bowls faster, then his slower deliveries can be even more effective.
