Mumbai Indians have endured a tough start to the IPL 2026 season, picking up four back-to-back defeats in first five games. The Hardik Pandya-led side have many key areas to improve, but Jasprit Bumrah going wicketless in the tournament is the biggest of them all.
Jasprit Bumrah's poor bowling form in IPL 2026
The star Indian speedster has failed to clinch a single wicket in the tournament so far, depending on the slower deliveries could be one of the key reasons behind his lack of dominance in the league.
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Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes that the 32-year-old pacer is not fully fit, noting the body language is not the same as it was in the T20 World Cup.
"I feel that Jasprit Bumrah is not 100 per cent fit, to be honest. This is my perception and my belief. When we are watching Bumrah bowl, the body language we are seeing is not the same as what we saw in the World Cup or even before that. So I sometimes feel that he is not at his best. Because Jasprit Bumrah does not usually miss his lengths like this, and he does not usually get hit like this. If he were 100 per cent fit, I cannot imagine Jasprit Bumrah bowling like this and continuing like this. So I feel that somewhere he is not 100 per cent fit," said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo.
Mahela Jayawardene opens up on Jasprit Bumrah's pace drop
After the game, MI coach Mahela Jayawardene shed some light on the issue, revealing that Bumrah had been managing his workload because of a niggle carried over from India's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 triumph.
"I think initially because he had a slight niggle which came from the World Cup," said Jayawardene.
Jayawardene further claimed that Bumrah's speed has gone up in recent games and seemed very comfortable with his bowling.
"We wanted to build him up (and) over the last few games his speeds have gone up. We’ve looked at all that so he’s very comfortable. Sometimes, you need a bit of luck as well." added Jayawardene.
Jasprit Bumrah's underwhelming performance in IPL 2026
Retained for Rs 18 crore, Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless in five straight matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026. So far, the star Indian speedster has conceded 164 runs at an economy rate of 8.63. Many have witnessed a change of strategy in Bumrah' bowling, with a high usage of slower deliveries and a drop in his pace.
Despite his respectable economy rate, Bumrah's form remains to be a concern for the Hardik Pandya led side amid their losing streak.