Former Team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioned Mumbai Indians (MI) fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah over his bowling approach in IPL 2026. The cricketer turned commentator said that Bumrah is relying too much on slower balls and also pointed to the apparent decline in his average pace in recent matches of the tournament.
MI will host Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the upcoming match Wankhede Stadium On Thursday, April 16 in Mumbai. Skipper Hardik Pandya is in desperate need of a big win as the five-time IPL champions are ninth on the points table after securing just one win in four matches.
There is no big issue regarding his form, but… -Irfan Pathan
Jasprit Bumrah This season he has struggled to find his rhythm. The 32-year-old fast bowler has failed to take a single wicket while giving runs at a high economy rate of 8.20. Irfan Pathan said that Bumrah has bowled about 44 percent slow balls so far this season.
“Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling wickets is very important. There are no major issues with his form, but his average pace this season has been around 130 kmph. He is using the slower ball around 44 per cent of the time, which means almost every second ball is slower,” Pathan said.
He said, “Now why is Jasprit Bumrah doing this? I think this needs to be looked at deeply. If he bowls more fast balls and reduces the percentage of slow balls, results will come. It is a very simple solution. Bumrah does not need coaching, but the statistics are telling what is happening.”
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Keep it around 30 to 35 percent – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan He advised Jasprit Bumrah to reduce the usage of slow balls by about 35 percent. He said that bowling too many slow balls reduces the pace and makes the bowler unpredictable against aggressive batsmen.
“44 per cent of slow balls and an average pace below 130 kmph means he needs to increase his pace. Obviously, if you bowl more slow balls, your average pace will go down.”
“But if you bring the slow ball percentage to around 35 per cent. If you keep it around 30 to 35 per cent and bowl more fast balls, your slower balls will become more effective. And if you get the seam and swing also, you can get the batsmen out as well,” Pathan said.
Despite the current dip in form, Bumrah has a strong record against Punjab Kings. He has taken 24 wickets in 18 matches against them, with his best performance being 3 wickets for 15 runs.
Jasprit Bumrah’s worst wicketless performance since 2014 continues
In the current Indian Premier League, Jasprit Bumrah is going through a rare phase of not taking wickets in four consecutive matches. The fast bowler has not faced such a run in recent years, his last time being in a similar stretch coming during the 2014 season.
He recorded disappointing figures of 0/40 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and 0/21 against Delhi Capitals (DC). Young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi also hit the mark in the rain-affected match against Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he conceded 35 runs without taking any wicket.
The poor performance continued against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as Bumrah conceded 32 runs without any success. His lack of wickets has added to Mumbai Indians’ struggles this season.
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