Play out Jasprit Bumrah safely. Look for scoring options elsewhere. This is the game plan used by all teams—international or IPL – when facing the gun-quick.
Pakistan must have intended to follow this obvious logic too, except the message was not received by Mohammed Rizwan. In the 15th over of the chase against India on Sunday, Rizwan went on the offensive to Bumrah.
The stupefying move backfired. Rizwan lost his stumps, and from a comfortable position, Pakistan lost the plot.
Rizwan must have known the high risk involved, given Bumrah’s spectacular recent form. The Gujarat fast bowler has made the perfect comeback from a back injury, that forced him out of action for nearly a year.
The early signs of a full recovery came in the 2023 ODI World Cup, when Bumrah was among the standout performers with 20 wickets at an economy rate of 4.06.
By the time IPL 2024 came around, Bumrah was nearly unplayable. The Mumbai Indians may have had a forgettable season, but Bumrah was in a different league.
IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2024: Pakistan falters as India wins battle of attrition
The yorkers, cutters, bouncers, zip off the pitch – prime Bumrah was back.
Two matches into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Bumrah leads the Indian charge with ‘Player of the Match’ performances in both outings. His 3-0-6-2 against Ireland was a sampler, while his 4-0-14-3 returns on Sunday was the main course.
