Why Has Jasprit Bumrah Gone Wicketless In 5 IPL Matches? R Ashwin's Verdict On 'Lack Of Wickets'

Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless in five straight IPL matches. Unthinkable as it may sound, Bumrah's barren run now stretches across two seasons. He did not take a wicket in the last match Mumbai Indians played in IPL 2025 and has now gone wicketless in four matches in IPL 2026. India spin great Ravichandran Ashwin, however, defended Bumrah. He stressed that Bumrah's ability to nail tight yorkers and restrict the flow of runs is more important than his wicket tally, especially at high-scoring venues like Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

According to CricViz, Bumrah has bowled 122 balls without taking a wicket - the longest wicketless streak of his IPL career.

Jasprit Bumrah's last five IPL innings:

0/40 (4) vs PBKS, Ahmedabad

0/35 (4) vs KKR, Wankhede

0/21 (4) vs DC, Delhi

0/32 (3) vs RR, Guwahati

0/35 (4) vs RCB, Wankhede

In Mumbai Indians' match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium, the ace Indian pacer again went wicketless, returning figures of 0/35 in four overs. However, he stood out as MI's most economical bowler as RCB posted a mammoth 240/4 in 20 overs.

In a post on X, Ashwin said that focusing solely on Bumrah's lack of wickets is misleading and could hurt MI's cause. He reiterated that Bumrah's true value lies in bowling pinpoint yorkers and choking runs, particularly at venues like the Wankhede.

"The lack-of-wickets narrative for Bumrah can hamper the team's cause. Him nailing yorkers and choking the opposition for every single run is even more important than him looking to get wickets, especially at venues like the Wankhede," Ashwin said.

"When you can't bowl overs on the trot, your wicket-taking ability depends on your partners who hand the over to you. We have had so many years of T20 cricket now, and bowling in partnerships as a defensive group is still a seed in the minds of bowling units," Ashwin added.

Despite going wicketless in his last five IPL innings, Bumrah has registered an economy rate above 10 in just two matches - against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 Qualifier and Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing season.

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