24 Sep 2025 : It hasn’t been the most productive return to international T20 cricket for Jasprit Bumrah. Used differently from the past when captains preferred to load up a majority of his overs for the second half, India’s premier strike force has leaked runs by the bushel in the Asia Cup, struggling for the accuracy and control that, allied with his immense skills, have made him the most feared bowler in the contemporary game.
Before this tournament, the 31-year-old hadn’t played a T20I since the World Cup final against South Africa in June 2024. He missed the first few matches of Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 campaign with a lower back injury that struck him down halfway through the Sydney Test in January, but seemed none the worse for it, stacking up 18 wickets from 12 outings at a niggardly 6.67 runs per over – none of the other 38 bowlers with ten or more wickets dipped under seven an over.
In 245 T20s until September 10, when India played UAE in their first Group A outing, Bumrah had bowled three overs in the Powerplay just 11 times; only one of them was in an international outing, against Australia in Visakhapatnam in 2019. Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir have opted to use him differently in the Emirates; in each of his three appearances, Bumrah has delivered three-fourths of his allotment inside the first six overs.
For that alone to be held responsible for unflattering figures of three for 92 from 11 overs, economy 8.36, will be unfair. Bumrah is the best bowler in the world for a reason; one of his great traits is his problem-solving ability, but in this tournament, that has remained a bridge too far. There has been a profusion of full-tosses and hit-me length balls, his discipline has been conspicuously absent, and he hasn’t been able to respond with characteristic alacrity and smarts when batters have gone after him. Bumrah has been pummelled for 12 fours and three sixes in 67 balls (including a no-ball against Pakistan on Sunday) and looked a little short on ideas and inspiration.
It won’t be so for long, because Bumrah is, simply, Bumrah. The very fact that an economy of 8.36 is making news is because of the ridiculously high standards he has set (career economy 6.36 in 73 T20Is). From time to time, as if to remind everyone that he is as human as any of us, he will cop punishment, but if the think-tank is worried about his burgeoning economy rate and his dipping strike-rate, they sure aren’t showing it.
Summary :
Jasprit Bumrah endured his worst Asia Cup, conceding heavily in powerplays. Despite India’s triumph, workload concerns and back injury history underline his long-term management challenges.