Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 5 : Mumbai Indians seamer Jasprit Bumrah has taken only three wickets in the IPL 2026 despite being part of all 10 matches. His poor run with the ball has been a major concern for the MI as they find themselves in ninth place in the points table with three wins and seven losses.
Bumrah has leaked runs at an economy rate of 8.89 and bowled with a poor average of 109.67 this season.
Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Champions Waali Commentary', the former India cricketer Irfan Pathan expressed concern over Bumrah's poor form this IPL season.
"Last season, Jasprit Bumrah picked up 18 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of just 6.7. This season, though, he has really struggled. He has only 3 wickets in 10 games, and his economy is on the higher side as well. When wickets don't come, the economy rate naturally suffers. Right now, his bowling average is 105. Nobody expected a bowler of Bumrah's class to have such poor numbers. Especially after his brilliant performance in the T20 World Cup, watching him struggle like this is very painful," said Pathan.
The former India cricketer and commentator Ravi Shastri also weighed in on the possible reasons behind Bumrah's struggles.
"Bumrah has entered this IPL off the back of a heavy workload with the Indian team over the last 12 months. His struggles are not just physical. Mental fatigue is a big reason. Mumbai Indians need to look after him. Over the next two years, there is a packed schedule, multiple Test series and the 50-over World Cup are coming up. So, his fitness and workload will have to be managed very carefully," Shastri said.
MI registered their third win of the season on Monday when they defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets at Wankhede Stadium.
MI opted to bowl first after winning the toss and LSG post 228/5 after 20 overs, with the help of knocks from Nicholas Pooran (63 off 21 balls, with four and eight sixes), Mitchell Marsh (44 off 25 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and Himmat Singh (40* in 31 balls, with two fours and two sixes).
However, an opening stand of 143 runs between Ryan Rickelton (83 in 32 balls, with six fours and eight sixes) and Rohit Sharma (84 in 44 balls, with six fours and seven sixes) helped MI make light work of the chase and completed the chase in 18.4 overs.
One more defeat and MI's hopes of the playoffs will be dashed. In this situation, MI desperately need Bumrah's peak bowling performances to remain alive in the race for the playoffs.
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