Former India pacer Zaheer Khan said on Wednesday that the bowlers’ consistently better performances against raiding batters in the IPL 2026 were due to their aggressive mentality and implementation of effective methods.
Over the past week or so, players like Akeal Hosein (4/17), Mohsin Khan (5/23), Josh Hazlewood (4/12), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) have made a significant impact despite the batter’s general assault on bowlers.
“I’m very happy to see that bowlers are coming back in a tournament like IPL right now. You’ve seen some low scores. You’ve seen 155 (-run) games also being defended (and) you’ve seen (a) team getting all out for 76,” PTI quoted Zaheer as saying in Mumbai.
“I think aggression and the right kind of approach are working out (for bowlers). The teams (that) are having good balance in bowling, are making that impact in this tournament,” he added.
However, with just two wickets in seven IPL games, Zaheer did not give much weight to Jasprit Bumrah’s performance.
“That’s the kind of season he’s having. As a bowler, you can go through these phases,” Zaheer said.
“It doesn’t make you a bigger or a smaller bowler. It’s just about the phase and he’s aware of it. Still, (there are) what, seven games to go for him? So there’s still plenty of time for him to turn things around. You’ve seen what kind of capability he has,” he added.
However, Zaheer praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of the Rajasthan Royals for sticking to his natural aggressive style.
“I think (it is about his) ability, confidence,” he replied when asked about Sooryavanshi’s knack of going after the top bowlers.
“It is just a special talent. (He is) someone who is not carrying any baggage, approaching the game in the purest form — seeing the ball, hitting the ball, and having that kind of talent and ability.
“To be able to do that consistently, that is the exciting part about someone like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. (He is) just going out there and enjoying the game,” Zaheer added.
Zaheer, who has taken 311 Test wickets, bemoaned the Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohsin’s injury-plagued career thus far.
“He has been down and out with injuries, isn’t it, for a while. It is great to see him coming back. It is about how he makes the impact, right?,” said Zaheer, LSG’s former bowling coach and mentor.
“The skill is there. The fitness has to be backed properly for him because we have seen in the last two-three seasons, he has been a stop and start (player). For him, it is about playing more and more matches.
“What I’m really excited about is someone like Prince (Yadav) also, who’s doing so well, who has put in all the hard work in the last year. You’ve seen Praful Hinge as well making that kind of impact,” Zaheer said.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 36, may be considering a comeback to Team India, according to Zaheer.
“It’s great to see that he’s (Bhuvneshwar) coming up with such performances. I’m sure he must be thinking in those lines,” he said.
“(The) IPL, we’ve seen, has been a platform for many to be able to showcase and Bhuvneshwar certainly has shown that. This season so far, it’s just about finishing strong, I think. We’ve seen things happen post-IPL. So why not?”
Additionally, he encouraged Auqib Nabi, a pacer from Jammu and Kashmir who had a fantastic red ball season, to seize his IPL prospects.
“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing – that is something which is very important. Also, it’s to do with opportunities, right? It’s a very complicated scenario that way.
“But for anyone who is playing IPL, (it is) such a platform, such a format, it is just about being ready to grab those opportunities,” added Zaheer.
