Jasprit Bumrah has been wicketless since the start of IPL 2026. It is hard to believe but numbers don’t lie. This season the star Mumbai Indians bowler has not picked a wicket in four matches.
But former India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has come out in support of Bumrah, saying the fast bowler’s ability to bowl yorkers and check the flow of runs is more crucial than picking wickets.
Ashwin is right in his analysis because during MI’s match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, Bumrah went wicketless but returned figures of 0 for 35, and was Mumbai’s most economical bowler as RCB posted a massive 240.
In a post on X, Ashwin said it’s wrong to judge Bumrah only by how many wickets he takes, as that doesn’t show his real impact and could even hurt Mumbai Indians. He explained that Bumrah’s real strength is in bowling accurate yorkers and keeping the runs down, especially on grounds like the Wankhede.
“The lack-of-wickets narrative for Bumrah can hamper the team’s cause. Him nailing yorkers and choking the opposition for every single run is even more important than him looking to get wickets, especially at venues like the Wankhede,” Ashwin said.
“When you can’t bowl overs on the trot, your wicket-taking ability depends on your partners who hand the over to you. We have had so many years of T20 cricket now, and bowling in partnerships as a defensive group is still a seed in the minds of bowling units,” Ashwin added.
