Slow and unsteady: Has Jasprit Bumrah’s once-lethal variation lost its edge?
Jasprit Bumrah’s trademark slower ball has struggled in IPL 2026, conceding 74 runs from 46 deliveries without taking a wicket. Bumrah has managed only three wickets in 10 matches, with critics like Sunil Gavaskar pointing to declining pace, inconsistent lengths and overuse of variations. Gavaskar believes Bumrah is overcomplicating his bowling but expects him to regain form soon.
There was a time when Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball wasn’t just a variation, it was sorcery. A carefully disguised trick, delivered with identical arm speed, that forced even the best batters into indecision. He didn’t just use it.
He used it like the latest smartphone and toyed with it. This IPL, that toy has looked a little outdated. The numbers are uncharacteristically stark: 46 slower balls bowled, 74 runs conceded, no wickets.
For a bowler whose reputation rests as much on deception as on discipline, that’s a rare dip. And it mirrors a broader struggle. Bumrah has just three wickets in 10 matches this season, an economy of 8.
89, and an average ballooning to 109. 67. These are figures that don't do justice to a maestro, and Bumrah's struggles have had a direct impact on the Mumbai Indians in what has been a forgettable campaign.
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