Varun Aaron likens Jasprit Bumrah to a remedy for any bowling predicament, describing him as “an antidote, a vaccine that can cure any illness a bowling side can have.” This comes after Bumrah’s impressive figures of 1 for 27 in Mumbai Indians’ win against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator, where he conceded just 6.75 runs per over, a stark contrast to the overall match run rate of 11.20.
Commenting on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out, Aaron marvelled at Bumrah’s dual ability to take wickets and stem the flow of runs. “If you want wickets, he comes and gets you wickets. If you want to stop runs, he stops runs for you. Man, what a bowler,” said Aaron, highlighting Bumrah’s self-assuredness. He described a scenario where MI’s coach Mahela Jayawardene was worried about the bowlers’ performance, only for Bumrah to assure, “just calm down, I’ll do the job for you,” before delivering a significant blow to the opposition.
The pivotal moment Aaron referred to was Bumrah’s delivery in the 14th over that uprooted Washington Sundar’s leg stump. Sundar, thriving on a 23-ball 48, saw GT’s chances decline significantly after his dismissal. This yorker, potentially the ball of the tournament, became a turning point, shifting GT’s win probability from 41.82% to 23.31%, as per ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster. Aaron remarked, “It’s easier for him to go wide to a left-hand batter but for him to actually target that leg stump of Washington Sundar… Washy was setting up for something wide or in his arc, but that was just impossible to negotiate.”
Bumrah’s performance sees him leading in economy and average for IPL 2025, despite playing fewer matches than his MI counterparts. He stands sixth in the wicket-taker rankings too.
At the post-match conference, Hardik Pandya praised Bumrah as a “luxury” for the team, while Tom Moody lauded his “pure class.” Moody elaborated, “The challenge every opposition has to Mumbai Indians, and Jasprit Bumrah more importantly, is that the 24 balls he bowls are such a threat. It’s so difficult to get big overs against him.”
Moody further analysed Bumrah’s remarkable ability, stating, “That yorker he bowled to Washington Sundar, you just don’t bowl a better ball than that. That is the absolute perfect leg-stump yorker that’s gone between his legs. At pace. To a batter that’s in. Set.”
In essence, Bumrah’s bowling, exemplified by his impeccable yorker, showcases his unmatched prowess and continues to leave both opponents and onlookers in awe.
