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Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that apart from Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian bowling attack hasn’t inspired much confidence so far. With India set to face England in the T20 World Cup semifinal, Pathan said the team will be hoping that Bumrah brings his best performance on the big stage.
Irfan Pathan on India's bowling
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been India’s most successful bowler in the tournament, taking 12 wickets in seven innings with an economy rate of 7.66. Meanwhile, Bumrah has also been impressive, picking up nine wickets in six matches while maintaining a tight economy rate of 6.3. However, Pathan feels that in the knockout stages, India will rely heavily on their premier fast bowler.
“Apart from Bumrah, you aren’t getting enough confidence in other bowlers in terms of performance. So, we hope that Bumrah does not have an off-day. India can’t afford that,” Irfan said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
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What will happen if Bumrah fails to perform vs England
He also pointed out that if Bumrah fails to deliver on the day, India’s bowling attack could come under serious pressure.
“If it happens, India’s bowling will be under pressure because we have seen Hardik getting hit in the death overs, even Arshdeep can be targeted for a big over and Varun Chakaravarthy is searching for form,” Irfan said.
Pathan on Axar's performance
Pathan also mentioned that Axar Patel has been doing his role well but hasn’t been able to pick up many wickets.
“Axar Patel does his job but does not have many wickets,” the former Indian cricketer added.
Irfan Pathan's advice to Varun Chakravarthy
Talking about Chakravarthy, Pathan advised the mystery spinner to stick to his natural bowling length. According to him, some recent practice visuals showed attempts to change that length, which may not be ideal.
“I have been saying this from the start, don’t ask him to bowl short. I have seen some visuals of the practice. Let him bowl at his natural length. The batters are standing deeper in the crease against Varun Chakaravarthy to play the cut and pull. When he is trying to bowl full, they are using their feet against him and hitting straight as well,” Irfan said.
He further explained that opposition batters have started putting Chakravarthy under pressure by adjusting their approach.
“Varun Chakaravarthy has been put under pressure by teams. I believe that it is important for him to bowl the length that hits the top of the stumps right from the first ball,” Irfan added.
The T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal between India and England is scheduled to take place on March 5 at iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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