Jasprit Bumrah

The Indian Premier League has been the making of many promising young players and Jasprit Bumrah is one of them. Featuring for Mumbai, Bumrah first caught the eye with an unusual bowling action. Blessed with the ability to bowl yorkers and get the steep bounce off the pitch, the Gujarat pacer has arguably become India’s best bowler in limited-overs cricket since making his international debut.

Jasprit made his T20 debut against Maharashtra in the 2012-13 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and helped Gujarat clinch the title with his Man of the Match performance. After impressing in his debut Indian Premier league season for the Mumbai-based franchise, in the subsequent year, he was again bought by Mumbai for a whopping 1.2 crores.

Bumrah's unusual angle with which he bowls made him a household name in the T20s. The Indian selectors took notice of it and his skills, control, and accuracy got him to the flight to Australia in 2016 for the T20I series. When Mohammed Shami got injured, Bumrah was given the opportunity to make his ODI debut in Sydney before the T20Is. After an impressive outing there, he was given a place in the starting XI for the T20Is and he didn't disappoint as he took six wickets in a Kangaroo-whitewash. After great success during the Australian tour, it came as no surprise when Bumrah soon became the number two ranked T20I bowler in the world. He played Asia Cup and T20I World Cup as well in the same year, spearheading the pace attack and cementing his place.

His control in the death overs meant that the Indian selectors showed faith in him for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy also. Though he bowled a no-ball on a wicket delivery to the eventual centurion Fakhar Zaman, he didn't let that setback worry him much. Proving his mantle time and again, Bumrah has been the go-to bowler for Virat Kohli in the shorter formats and eventually, in the Tests as well. During his debut tour of South Africa, in only his third match, he took a fifer and convinced everyone of his potential in the longest format too.

Bumrah was the strike bowler for India in World Cup 2019 and he proved the world why he is the no.1 ranked ODI bowler. The pacer amassed 18 wickets in just 9 matches with an economy of just 4.41 and became the leading wicket-taker for India in the tournament. Jasprit bowled 9 maidens in 2019 World Cup which is also the highest by any bowler in the showpiece event. His yorkers were as deadly as a bullet in this tournament which helped him taking wickets but also led to an injury of his teammate Vijay Shankar after he was struck by Bumrah's yorker on his toe during a net-session.

Post the 2019 World Cup during India's second Test Championship match against West Indies in Jamaica, Bumrah struck gold as he registered a Test hat-trick to his name, dismissing Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase and became only the third Indian to do so after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan. With age on his side and an improving skill-set, the promising pacer looks set to log many bowling records for India.

In August 2019, Bumrah took his fourth Test five-wicket haul against West Indies in the first Test match of India tour of West Indies 2019, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, with figures of 5/7 in the 2nd innings. In the second Test match, he became the third Indian to take a hat-trick in a Test match Bumrah played his maiden Test match in India in the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium against England in February 2021 after playing 17 Tests overseas. His maiden Test wicket in India was of Daniel Lawrence for naught in the England Tour of India 2021. In February 2022, Bumrah was named Vice-captain of India for the T20I and Test series against Sri Lanka owing to the unavailability of regular vice-captain KL Rahul. In March 2022, Bumrah took his maiden Test five-wicket haul in India during the second day-night Test against Sri Lanka.

In April 2022, Bumrah was among the Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year for that year. On 1 July 2022, Bumrah captained the Indian Test team against England for the first time instead of Rohit Sharma, who is ruled out due to suffering from COVID-19. On 2 July 2022, Jasprit Bumrah hit 35 runs in an over bowled by Stuart Broad in Test cricket, beating the 18-year older record set by Brian Lara. On 12 July 2022, he took 6/19 in a One Day International match against England, India's best figures against England, and the third best figures for India in ODIs. On 17 July 2022, Bumrah became the number 1 ranked bowler in ODIs according to ICC.

On 21 August 2023, Bumrah was named in India's squad for the 2023 Asia Cup. He was also included in the squad for the 2023 ICC Men's World Cup which was held in India and Bumrah displayed great control and wicket-taking ability to take his side to the final but unfortunately, India lost. An injury-free Bumrah continues to make the headlines in 2024 with his stellar display in the Test series against England and will be key for the Mumbai franchise in the 2024 Indian Premier League.