Among Indian fast bowlers, he took 200 wickets in the fewest matches and reached 100 wickets inODI cricket in the second-shortest time, in terms of matches played. He is the first bowler to have achieved the number one ranking in theICC men's player rankings in all three formats of the game. He also holds the record of scoring the highest number of runs in anover in Test cricket. He achieved this feat againstStuart Broad.
Bumrah made his domestic debut in2012–13 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and also helped his side clinch its maiden title victory. Hisfirst-class debut came againstVidarbha, during the2013–14 season of theRanji Trophy. Bumrah was signed by theMumbai Indians for the2013 season of IPL. Since then, he has played for MI, contributing to the team's title wins five times. He is the second-highest wicket-taker for MI, behindLasith Malinga, with 165 wickets in 133 matches.
Notably, Bumrah achieved a milestone in 2024 by surpassingRavichandran Ashwin's highest ICC Test bowling rating for an Indian bowler. Bumrah concluded the year as the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 71 wickets, and reached a career-high rating of 908 points, placing him joint-16th on the all-time list. His performances, including a nine-wicket haul in the Melbourne Test in December 2024, secured his position as the top-ranked bowler in theICC Men’s Test Rankings,[4][5] and was awarded theSir Garfield Sobers Trophy and theICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year in the2024 ICC Awards.[6]
Bumrah was born on 6 December 1993 into aSikhPunjabi family inAhmedabad,Gujarat.[7] His father, Jasbir Singh, ran a chemical business, while his mother, Daljeet Bumrah, worked as a school teacher. His father passed away when Bumrah was 5 years old due tohepatitis B.[8][9] His mother raised him and his sister Juhika in amiddle-class environment inAhmedabad. Bumrah attended Nirman High School inVastrapur, Ahmedabad, where his mother worked as the vice principal. He also played cricket for Nirman's team.[10][11][12]
In 2010, Bumrah appeared at theGujarat Cricket Association's Under-19 district selection trials. The selectors did not include him in the main squad of 15 due to his unconventional bowling action but named him as a reserve. After the district team won the first three matches, all three reserve players were given a chance in the fourth three-day match. Bumrah took seven wickets in that match.[13]
Bumrah made histwenty20 (T20) debut forGujarat againstMaharashtra in the2012–13 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and helped his side clinch the title with his Man of the Match performance in the final, with figures of 3/14 to beatPunjab.[14] On 18 March 2013, during the match againstMumbai, formerIndia coachJohn Wright, who was then the head coach ofMumbai Indians (MI) and scouting for the team at the time, was impressed by Bumrah's performance and invited him to sign up for MI.[12]
Bumrah made hisODI debut in January 2016 againstAustralia in the last match ofthe ODI series, where he took his first international wicket – that ofSteve Smith – and finished with figures of 2/40.[19] In the first match of theT20I series that followed Bumrah made his debut, taking his maiden T20I wicket – that ofDavid Warner – and finished with figures of 3/23. India won the T20I series and Bumrah was the highest wicket-taker on either side with six wickets.[20] In February 2016, he took three wickets in theT20I series against Sri Lanka.[21]
Bumrah was named in India's 15-man squad for the2016 ICC World Twenty20. He took a wicket in every single match of the tournament except against Bangladesh. In the semi-final againstWest Indies he took the wicket ofChris Gayle while conceding 42 runs, having aneconomy rate of 10.50 runs per over.[22] India lost the match, and Bumrah finished the tournament with four wickets at an average of 38.25 and an economy rate of 7.65.[23]
InIndia's tour of Zimbabwe in 2016, during the first match of the ODI series, Bumrah, who was playing his second ODI game, took 4 wickets for 28 runs.[24] He was the highest wicket-taker of the series with 9 wickets, including another four-wicket haul in the third match.[25][26] During the T20I series, he was the second highest wicket-taker with five wickets, including a three-wicket haul in the second match.[27][28] In the two-matchT20I series against West Indies in August 2016, Bumrah took his 28th wicket of the year, breakingDirk Nannes's record for most wickets in Twenty20 Internationals in a calendar year.[29] In October 2016, whenNew Zealand toured India, Bumrah took six wickets in the ODI series at an average of 22.00.[30]
In January 2017, in the second match of the T20I series duringEngland's 2016–17 tour of India, Bumrah picked up two wickets, conceded 20 runs, and was awarded the Player of the Match. He emerged as the second leading wicket-taker of the series, with five wickets in a 2–1 victory.[31][32] In the2017 ICC Champions Trophy, he went wicketless in the first two matches of the tournament. India lost the final againstPakistan, and Bumrah finished the tournament as the second leading wicket-taker for India, afterBhuvneshwar Kumar.[33] During the2017 Sri Lanka tour, Bumrah recorded the most wickets (15) taken by any fast bowler in a bilateral ODI series of five or fewer matches.[34] In February 2018, he became the highest-ranked bowler in theICC Men's ODI player rankings, along withAfghanleg-spinnerRashid Khan.[35]
In November 2017, Bumrah was named in India'sTest squad for their seriesagainst South Africa.[36] He made his Test debut for India against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on 5 January 2018.[37] In the third match of the series, atJohannesburg, Bumrah took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests, with the figures of 5/54 from 18.5 overs.[38] South Africa won the series 2–1. Bumrah was the second highest wicket-taker for India behind teammateMohammed Shami.[39]
Jasprit Bumrah (fourth from left) fielding during India vs England, at Trent Bridge (August 2018)
In June 2018, in the first match ofIndia's tour of Ireland, Bumrah fractured his left thumb while attempting a catch; the injury caused him to miss the remainder of the tour and the first two Test matches of the2018 Pataudi Trophy.[40][41] He returned for the third Test match atTrent Bridge, where he took his second five-wicket haul and finished with figures of 5/85 from 29 overs.[42] He was the fifth leading wicket-taker of the series with 14 wickets from three matches, in a series where India faced a 4–1 defeat.[43]
During theBoxing Day Test ofIndia Tour of Australia 2018, with career-best figures of 6/33, Bumrah became the first Asian bowler to take five-wicket hauls in Australia, England, and South Africa in the same calendar year.[44] India won the series 2–1 and Bumrah finished as the joint highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets, alongside Australian bowlerNathan Lyon.[45] He concluded the year with 48 wickets, setting a record for an Indian bowler in his debut year in Test cricket.[46][47] For his performances in 2018, he was named in both theWorld Test XI andODI XI by the ICC.[48]
In April 2019, Bumrah was named inIndia's squad for the2019 Cricket World Cup.[49][50] On 6 July 2019, in the match againstSri Lanka, Bumrah, in his 57th career match, took his 100th wicket in ODIs and became the second-fastest Indian to do so after his teammate,Mohammed Shami.[51][52] He finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker for India and the fifth highest overall, with eighteen dismissals in nine matches.[53] India lost to New Zealand in semi-final. Bumrah was named in the 'Team of the Tournament' by the ICC andESPNcricinfo.[54][55]
In December 2020, Bumrah was named in theICC Men's T20I Team of the Decade for 2011–2020.[60] In January 2021, He was ruled out of the final Test match atthe Gabba of the2020 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, due to aabdominal strain, which he picked up during the third Test of the series inSydney.[61] At Sydney, Bumrah faced racist abuse from the crowd, prompting India to file a formal complaint at the end of day three. Subsequently,Cricket Australia issued an apology to the Indian team.[62] India won the final test, securing victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Bumrah was the fifth highest wicket-taker of the series with 11 wickets.[63] He played his maiden Test match in India in theM. A. Chidambaram Stadium against England in February 2021 after playing 17 Tests overseas. His maiden Test wicket in India was ofDaniel Lawrence inEngland Tour of India 2021.[64][65][66] Bumrah was part of the Indian team that played the2021 ICC World Test Championship Final against New Zealand. He went wicketless in the match, which India lost by 8 wickets.[67]
In the2021 India tour of England, Bumrah was the highest wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets. He was the player of the series along with England'sJoe Root.[68] In the last match of the series, which was postponed to July 2022 due toCOVID-19 cases in the Indian camp, Bumrah captained the Indian Test team for the first time instead ofRohit Sharma, who was ruled out due to suffering from COVID-19.[69] He scored 29 runs in an over bowled byStuart Broad, beating the 18-year-old Test record set byBrian Lara (who had scored 28 runs in an over). The over also included six extras, meaning it cost a total of 35 runs.[70][71] In September 2021, Bumrah was named in India's squad for the2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[72] He was one of only four fast bowlers in the main squad, alongsideMohammed Shami, the white-ball specialist,Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and the bowling all-rounderShardul Thakur. India was knocked out of the tournament without reaching the semi-finals.[73]
Bumrah with Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi following the World Cup final.
In January 2023, Bumrah missed thehome series against Sri Lanka due to his back injury. He underwent back surgery in March 2023. He also missed the2023 ICC World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.[82] In August 2023, after nearly a year, Bumrah made his comeback to international cricket as India's captain in theseries against Ireland.[83] Bumrah was the player of the series, which India won 2–0.[84]
On 21 August 2023, Bumrah was named in India's squad for the2023 Asia Cup. He played his first match in the tournament against Pakistan, scoring 16 runs off 14 balls, but the match was abandoned due to rain.[85] He was replaced by Mohammed Shami for the match againstNepal because he flew back to Mumbai for personal reasons.[86] India won the tournament by beating Sri Lanka in the final. Bumrah played four matches and took four wickets, averaging 17.75 with an economy rate of 4.17 runs per over.[87][88]
In September 2023, Bumrah was named in India's 15-man squad for2023 Cricket World Cup.[89] In the match against Afghanistan atDelhi, he took a four-wicket haul at an economy rate of 3.90.[90] In the final, against Australia atAhmedabad, he took 2 wickets for 43 runs at an economy rate of 4.77.[91] India lost the final, and Bumrah finished as the fourth leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 20 wickets.[92]
On 3 February 2024, duringEngland's tour of India, in the second match of the series, Bumrah became the joint third-fastest (34 matches) Indian bowler and the fastest Indian pacer to take 150 wickets in Test cricket.[93][94] He took 6 wickets for 45 runs, his third-best bowling figure in Tests, and was awarded the Player of the Match award.[95][96] He became the first Indian fast bowler to reach the number one ranking in theICC Test player rankings and the first bowler to achieve the number one ranking in all three formats of the game.[97] He took 19 wickets in four matches and emerged as the third-highest wicket-taker of the series, behindRavichandran Ashwin of India andTom Hartley of England.[98]
Jasprit Bumrah (second from left, front row) with the 2024 T20 World Cup winning team and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In June 2024, Bumrah was part of India's squad for the2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[99] He finished the tournament with 15 wickets at an economy rate of 4.17 runs per over, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for the team.[100] Bumrah was named the player of the tournament following India's win in the final against South Africa.[101]
In September 2024, Bumrah achieved the milestone of 400 international wickets during the first Test match between India and Bangladesh. With this accomplishment, he became the sixth Indian fast bowler to reach this significant mark.[102] In December 2024,Bumrah became the number 1 bowler in theICC player rankings with 904 points,equalling the career-best rating ofRavichandran Ashwin.[103]
In theBorder–Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah became the fastest Indian fast bowler to reach 200 Test wickets in his 44th match with the best bowling average among bowlers to have taken 200 wickets.[104] He gave best ever bowling performance by an overseas pacer in Australia by picking 32 wickets.[citation needed]This is also the most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in overseas Test series. He broke Bishen Singh Bedi's record of 31 wickets set in 1977-78.[105]
Bumrah made his IPL debut at the age of 19, where he concluded with figures of 3/32 againstRoyal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). DespiteVirat Kohli hitting him for three fours in his first four deliveries of the IPL, Bumrah managed to dismiss him on the fifth ball, with Kohli scoring 24 runs and Bumrah securing his maiden IPL wicket.[109][110] He was then benched for the remainder of the season and only played in the match against theDelhi Daredevils, where he did not take a wicket.[111] Despite only playing two matches in the2013 season, the Mumbai Indians retained him for the2014 season.[112] He went wicketless in his first two matches of the 2014 season. However, in the match against RCB, he took two wickets for 22 runs at an economy rate of 5.50, including the wicket ofAB de Villiers.[113] It was his best bowling figures of the season. He played in 11 of Mumbai's 15 matches and finished as the team's fifth leading wicket-taker of the season, securing five wickets at an economy rate of 7.58 and an average of 60.20.[114] MI retained Bumrah once again ahead of the2015 Indian Premier League.[115] Bumrah played in only four of MI's sixteen matches and took three wickets at an economy rate of 12.26.[116]
In the2016 Indian Premier League, Bumrah took four 3-wicket hauls and was the team's second-leading wicket-taker, afterMitchell McClenaghan, with fifteen wickets.[117][118] His best figures came in the match against Delhi Daredevils atVisakhapatnam, where he took three wickets for thirteen runs, with an economy rate of 3.25 runs per over.[119] In the2017 season, he became the leading wicket-taker for the team and the third-leading wicket-taker of the tournament, taking 20 wickets.[120][121] Bumrah defended 12 runs in asuper over in a match against theGujarat Lions atRajkot.[122] In the second qualifier match againstKolkata Knight Riders, atBengaluru, Bumrah finished with figures of 3/7, the second-best bowling figures for Mumbai Indians that season.[123] In the final againstRising Pune Supergiant atHyderabad, Bumrah took two wickets, including the wicket ofMS Dhoni, and helped the team lift the trophy.[124]
Let me go on record and say that he [Jasprit Bumrah] is the best bowler in the world at this stage and the best is yet to come hopefully.
Bumrah began his2018 IPL campaign with a single dismissal in the first match against theChennai Super Kings, finishing with figures of 1/37.[126] His best performance came in the match against theKings XI Punjab, where he took 3 wickets for 15 runs at an economy rate of 3.75 runs per over, for which he was named player of the match.[127] In the match against RCB inMumbai, he took his 50th wicket of his IPL career, dismissingChris Woakes.[128] Bumrah took 17 wickets in the season, making him the second leading wicket-taker for Mumbai, behindHardik Pandya.[129] In the2019 season of the IPL, Bumrah suffered a shoulder injury in the first match againstDelhi Capitals. However, he was declared fit the next day and continued to play for the rest of the season.[130] In the match against RCB, he was awarded the player of the match for taking 3 wickets for 20 runs.[131] In the final against Chennai Super Kings atUppal stadium, Bumrah conceded 14 runs, took two wickets (Ambati Rayudu andDwayne Bravo), and was awarded the player of the match. Following his performance in the final,Sachin Tendulkar called him the best bowler in the world.[125] He finished the season as the leading wicket-taker for the Mumbai Indians, taking 19 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 21.52 and an economy rate of 6.63 runs per over.[132]
In the2020 IPL, which was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[133] Bumrah took his highest number of wickets in a season, with 27 wickets, making him the highest wicket-taker for the Mumbai Indians and the second-highest wicket-taker of the season behindKagiso Rabada of Delhi Capitals.[134][135] He took two four-wicket hauls in the season.[136] During the match against RCB atAbu Dhabi, he became the 16th bowler to pick 100 wickets in the IPL with the wicket of Virat Kohli.[137] In the qualifier against Delhi Capitals, he took 4 wickets for 14 runs and won the player of the match award.[138] Bumrah was once again the leading wicket-taker for his team in the2021 season with 21 wickets in 14 matches and was the third-highest wicket-taker of the season.[139][140] On 19 September 2021, in the match against CSK, Bumrah played in his 100th IPL match.[141] In the2022 season, Bumrah took 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 25.53 and an economy rate of 7.18, making him the highest wicket-taker for Mumbai.[142] He took a five-wicket haul during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders inNavi Mumbai, finishing with figures of 5/10, the best figures of his IPL career.[143] Bumrah was ruled out of the2023 season of the IPL due to a back injury.[144]
Bumrah took his 150th IPL wicket, dismissingAbhishek Porel, during the2024 season in the match against DC.[145] In the match against RCB, he achieved his second five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/21.[146] Bumrah ended the season with a total of 20 wickets, making him the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament.[147]
Bumrah gained prominence with his unorthodox action andhyperextended elbows.[148] His run-up is short, the first part of which consists of small, stuttering strides. He has an anomalous, stiff-armed action yet generates high pace, and his unusual point of release makes it difficult for batters to read his bowling. Accordingly, the Indian team often uses him inpowerplay anddeath overs.[149] He bowls outside theoff-stump,yorkers andshort length balls frequently.[150][151] According to former international bowlerShoaib Akhtar, Bumrah's bowling action has the potential to cause back injuries. Bumrah'sfront-on bowling action means that bowlers like him generate speed primarily from theirshoulders and back, increasing the risk of injury.[152]
I think Jasprit Bumrah is very, very interesting. He runs off a very short run-up. He jogs and then bowls with a very short run. He has got straight arms. His bowling is not textbook by any means, but it works. He is very different from other pace bowlers, which reminds me of another fast bowler of my era, who was very different from everyone else –Jeff Thomson.
Bumrah targets the stumps more often than any other bowler who bowls at his pace, nearly 138 kilometres per hour (86 mph). He bowls nearly 43% of his deliveries on a goodline and length.[154] He has the highest average pace among bowlers who hit the good line and length at least as frequently.[155][156] Additionally, he utilises lateral movement of the ball in his deliveries, capable ofswinging it both ways and usingreverse swing, especially in Indian conditions.[157]
Bumrah's hyper-extended right elbow allows him to release the ball from beyond thebowling crease, creating the illusion of increased speed by reducing the ball's travel distance by nearly half a meter.[158] This hyperextension also enables him to impart an extraordinary amount ofbackspin on the ball, which produces lift towards the batter (seeMagnus effect).[159] His slower variation, theoff cutter, has dismissed many batters over the years. Its effectiveness stems from his ability to reverse the lift by imparting enough revolutions on the ball in theopposite direction, causing the ball to dip which makes it land slightly earlier.[160] Another notable skill is his ability to hit various lengths without significantly altering his release point, making it difficult for batters to pick the length from his hand.[161] Additionally, his beyond-the-perpendicular release point allows him to angle the ball into right-handed batters and away from left-handers from over the wicket.[162]
Bumrah has earned a reputation for his late-swinging yorker, which he says he learned by practising with a tennis ball.[156][163] Bumrah has grown into an asset for theIndian team in the limited-overs format.[164][165][166] He is considered one of the fastest Indian bowlers, with an average speed of 142km/h and his fastest recorded speed being 153km/h which was recorded during the first Test match of theIndia Tour of Australia 2018 at theAdelaide Oval, outpacingMitchell Starc andPat Cummins.[167][168]
"My all-time favourite bowlers areMitchell Johnson,Wasim Akram andBrett Lee. I used to watch their videos and learn from them. I have learnt a lot from Johnson, and Malinga too. I try to learn from any senior bowlers who have played international cricket."
Mumbai Indians bowling coach and former New Zealand fast bowlerShane Bond said: "Boom's action, though unique, is repeatable. He has great control."[12] Former Indian fast bowlerAshish Nehra also commented on Bumrah's bowling action, stating, "What you do in 75–80% of your run-up, nothing matters. It's the last 15–20%, the last four-five steps, which is the main thing. That is bowling. Bumrah runs differently, but in his last three-four steps – he is loading, front leg, back leg, everything is in alignment, and he is quick through the air."[12]
On 15 March 2021, Bumrah married model and presenterSanjana Ganesan in Goa.[170] Hailing fromPune, Maharashtra, Ganesan is a formerMiss India finalist and was also a participant in MTV'sSplitsvilla in 2014.[171] Bumrah and Ganesan first met in an interview during the2013 Indian Premier League. They became friends after that first meeting, and after dating for two years, they married in 2021.[172] On 4 September 2023, their son Angad was born.[173]
According toForbes India, in August 2023 Bumrah had around 25 million followers onsocial media, including over 10 million onInstagram, which is the highest social media following among bowlers in the world. Financial advisory firmKroll placed Bumrah in the top 45 most valued celebrities of the country, with an estimated brand value of₹100 crore (equivalent to₹106 crore or US$12 million in 2023) in the year 2022. He was the only bowler in the top 50.[174] As of August 2023[update], he charges in the range of₹1.5 to₹2 crore a day for an endorsement. His brand value is estimated to increase by 25 to 30 per cent in the next 12 months.[175] Forbes India included Bumrah in itsCelebrity 100 list in the years 2018 and 2019.[176][177]
In the cricketing fraternity, Bumrah is regarded by many as the world's best all-format pace bowler in modern cricket. He has received praise from numerous former cricketers, analysts, commentators, current players, and fans for his exceptional fast bowling skills, accuracy, and performance.[178][179] Notably,Pakistan's legendary fast-bowlerWasim Akram explicitly described him as the "best bowler in the world,"[180] emphasising his ability to execute yorkers and perform under pressure. Other legendary fast bowlers, includingAndy Roberts,[181]Curtly Ambrose,[182]Ian Bishop,[183] andWaqar Younis,[184] have lauded his unique action, impact, precision, and psychological dominance over batters.Lasith Malinga,Matthew Hayden andDale Steyn have also commended Bumrah for his mastery of yorkers and his adaptability across different conditions.[185][186] Indian cricket figures such asSachin Tendulkar,Irfan Pathan,Ravi Shastri, andSunil Gavaskar have highlighted his consistency and leadership in India's bowling attack,[187][188] whileRicky Ponting and commentatorHarsha Bhogle have praised his tactical acumen and composure in critical moments of the game.[189][190][191]
^abcdeUgra, Sharda (23 May 2019)."The boy called Boom".The Cricket Monthly. ESPNcricinfo.Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved5 November 2020.
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