After five matches in IPL 2026 so far Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless. Surprising, right! The star India pacer returned figures of 0 for 41 in Mumbai Indians match against Punjab Kings on Thursday.
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan seems to have found the problem that is behind Bumrah’s lean patch. He thinks Bumrah is bowling too many slower deliveries.
“Wickets from Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling are very important. There is no major issue with his form, but his average speed this season has been around 130 kmph. He has been using the slower ball about 44 per cent of the time, meaning almost every second ball is a slower one,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Pathan says that the solution to this is that Bumrah bowls more fast deliveries and the results would start coming.
“Now why is Jasprit Bumrah doing this? I think this needs a deeper look. If he bowls more fast deliveries and reduces the percentage of slower balls, the results will come. It is a very simple solution. Bumrah does not need coaching, but the numbers are showing what is happening,” he added.
Bumrah struggled to make an impact in the match against Punjab Kings, as they chased down 196 runs in just 16.3 overs. Prabhsimran Singh led the charge with an unbeaten 80 off 39 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer scored 66 off 35.
With this loss, Mumbai Indians have now suffered four defeats in a row in IPL 2026. They started their campaign with a win, but have lost every match since then.
“44 percent slower balls and an average speed below 130 kmph means he needs to increase his pace. Obviously, if you bowl more slow deliveries, your average speed will drop. But if you bring the slower ball percentage down to around 35 percent. If you keep it around 30 to 35 percent and bowl more fast deliveries, your slower balls will become more effective. And if you also get seam and swing, then you can dismiss batters as well,” explained Pathan.
