Jasprit Bumrah, India's most feared fast bowler, is living through the strangest phase of his IPL career. He has not taken a single wicket in his last 5 IPL matches across two seasons.
His last wicket in the IPL came before the final match of the 2025 season. In IPL 2026, he has now gone 4 games without troubling the scorers.
According to CricViz, he has bowled 122 consecutive balls without a wicket. It is the longest dry spell of his entire IPL career.
The numbers from his last 5 outings make for uncomfortable reading. Against PBKS in Ahmedabad in IPL 2025, he went for 0/40 in 4 overs.
In IPL 2026, he returned 0/35 against KKR at the Wankhede, 0/21 against Delhi Capitals in Delhi, and 0/32 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Don’t forget that he was smashed for a SIX by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, on the very first ball he bowled in that match.
Last night, he delivered 0/35 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede as RCB posted a massive 240/4. Even so, Jasprit Bumrah was MI's most economical bowler on the day. That tells you that his control and skill with the ball are very much alive.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came to Bumrah's defence on X. He argues that the wickets narrative is missing the point entirely.
According to Ashwin, at high-scoring venues like the Wankhede, Bumrah's ability to nail yorkers and strangle the run rate is far more valuable than his wicket tally. He also pointed to Lasith Malinga's thinking on defensive bowling partnerships.
“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 & bowling in partnerships as a defensive group is still a seed in the minds of bowling groups. Malinga nailed it when he spoke during the 10th over mark,” Ashwin wrote.
Ashwin’s post went viral, garnering nearly 4 lakh views. Social media users reacted.
“You said it correctly that Bumrah can bowl even more economically today if he didn't try for wickets. The frustration after 19th over shows it all,” wrote one of them.
“People who only see numbers will say... those who understand the game know what he did today,” posted another user.
One user pointed out, “The problem with Bumrah is that he sometimes tries too many things. Malinga was simple: nail yorkers mixing the speeds. Bumrah should use the wide yorker as well. He almost never bowls that.”
“Even when Jasprit Bumrah walks off without a wicket, it feels unreal—like something in cricket’s script just glitched,” came from another.
Zaheer Khan on wicketless Bumrah
Zaheer Khan, MI's former Global Head of Cricket Development, offered a different angle. He told Cricbuzz that opposition teams might simply be playing Bumrah very conservatively. They are refusing to take risks against him and deliberately denying him wickets.
Captaincy decisions on how Bumrah is being used could also be a factor, the former pacer added. His advice to Bumrah was direct. He asked the MI pacer to be more aggressive and not wait for things to come to him.
“It can happen. But, it’s also to do with the fact that if you are playing against Bumrah, you either decide that no matter what, don't give him a wicket, be cautious against him, play conservatively, don't look to be too aggressive,” Khan said.
With 183 career IPL wickets and an average of 22.69, Jasprit Bumrah’s class is undeniable. Mumbai Indians face Punjab Kings on April 16, and most fans will be watching to see if the wait finally ends.
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