Jasprit Bumrah during India' Super 8 clash vs Afghanistan.© AFP
4-1-7-3. Three wickets for seven runs. Those were Jasprit Bumrah's figures in India's first 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against Afghanistan. And were it not to be for Suryakumar Yadav's swashbuckling 28-ball 53, Bumrah would've walked away with a third Player of the Match award in the T20 World Cup. In such good form, Bumrah does not need much advice from the bowling coach either. Teammate Axar Patel revealed that no one in the team tells Bumrah how to go about his bowling.
Speaking post-game, Axar Patel said that India's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey prefers to keep to small talk with Bumrah, in fear of confusing him with too much advice.
"I don't think anyone in the Indian team talks about Bumrah's bowling, as he has an idea of what to do," said Axar Patel.
"As much as I've seen, the bowling coach does not interfere much. He tells him "Whatever your mindset is, it is clear, so just execute your plans"," Axar said.
And he'd be wise to do so. Bumrah has been in exceptional form. After finishing IPL 2024 with his best-ever economy for a single season, Bumrah has carried his form to the 2024 T20 World Cup, picking up eight wickets in four games.
Against Afghanistan, the clarity in Bumrah's mindset was evident again. Noticing the slow nature of the Barbados wicket, Bumrah used cutters and slower deliveries, paying dividends.
Earlier, he had picked up the wicket of Afghanistan's top run-scorer of the tournament, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, in the second over.
Bumrah finished with three wickets, giving away only seven runs, and even bowling a maiden.
"Jasprit Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and we can always get out of a tough situation with such quality in the side," added Axar.
Bumrah won the Player of the Match award in India's first two T20 World Cup matches against Ireland and arch-rivals Pakistan. In particular, Bumrah turned the game in the middle overs against Pakistan, dismissing a well-set Mohammad Rizwan.
India next take on Bangladesh on June 22, in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
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