'Narrative played on his mind’: Ashwin explains Bumrah’s dip in form after ending wicket drought

Jasprit Bumrah finally picked up his first wicket of IPL 2026 after going wicketless for six consecutive matches, and following Mumbai Indians’ emphatic win over Gujarat Titans, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said explained that why Bumrah got dip in his form despite good spells in first two matches. Mumbai Indians put up a dominant all-round performance to defeat Gujarat Titans convincingly. After being reduced to 44/3 in the powerplay, MI recovered through a crucial partnership between Naman Dhir (45) and Tilak Verma.

Tilak then produced an unbeaten 101* off 45 balls, powering MI to a strong total of 199/5. For GT, Kagiso Rabada (3/33) was the standout bowler, while Mohammed Siraj remained economical. In response, Gujarat Titans never got going and were bowled out for just 100 in 15.

5 overs. Ashwani starred with a career-best 4/24, while Allah Ghazanfar and Mitchell Santner chipped in with two wickets each, sealing a comprehensive win for MI. While a scintillating century from Tilak Verma under pressure and a four-wicket haul from Ashwani Kumar were the show-stealing performances which revived MI's hopes for any progress in the tournament, perhaps the biggest positive was Bumrah breaking his wicketless streak in the IPL dating back to last year's playoffs, marking his biggest spree without any wickets in the IPL.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah’s recent performances, suggesting that external narratives around his lack of wickets may have affected the star pacer’s rhythm. Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin noted that while Bumrah bowled well in the initial matches, the pressure of not picking up wickets and the team’s losses may have impacted his confidence. "I still think Bumrah bowled really well in the first two matches, but then the team started losing.