MUMBAI: Some players don’t wear the captain’s armband, or flaunt the ‘C’ next to their name. But they are leaders nonetheless.
This lot, without any official title, belongs to a rare breed of match-winners who by the sheer force of their personality shine through every move they make during a contest. The cameras may not be fixed on them, but they have the knack of reading the opposition’s moves to help their team stay a step ahead and break the game open against the odds.
Most successful sports sides have such charismatic characters, who, for their skillset alone, stand out in the team. When the pressure is truly on, their teammates, and indeed the captain, look up to them for a sense of calm and direction.
Like Sachin Tendulkar gave the Indian side in the 2011 ODI World Cup, or Shane Warne to Australia in the 1999 edition, or Kevin Pietersen to England in the T20 World Cup of 2010.
In the current Indian setup, this special category has Jasprit Bumrah written all over it.
A proven match-winner, he was the player of the tournament at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. As India look to defend their title at home, the team will again bank on Bumrah for inspiration and wickets.
He was the ace in captain Rohit Sharma’s 2024 triumphant pack, and remains the ace in captain Suryakumar Yadav’s 2026 armoury. One that delivers in high-pressure, high-stakes matches.
As an example, don’t look beyond the 2024 tournament final against South Africa. South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls in Barbados, having ransacked 38 off the previous two overs, when Bumrah came back for his third over. He went on to concede just four runs off the 16th over, and two off the 18th, also knocking over Marco Jansen, to help India pull off an incredible heist.
The quality that really makes Bumrah unique is adaptability. No matter the opposition, no matter the playing surface, he invariably finds the right way.
So, how does the genius go about his job? One of the best case studies on his bowling was the 2024 Pakistan game in New York, where he helped defend a total of 119 with a spell of 3/14 in four overs. He then shared some insights into his art.
“I try to solve the problem that’s in front of me and control the controllables,” Bumrah had said during a press conference after the win. “I tried to find the best option for me. On this wicket, I was trying to do that, focus on my own problems and try to put my best forward.”
Always a person who believes in letting the ball do the talking, his impact was evident in the 2024 edition, where he gave India the edge with 15 wickets in eight games, helping lift the prestigious ICC trophy held in the United States and West Indies.
During the victory parade celebrations in Mumbai, Virat Kohli’s statement summed up the speed ace’s contribution to India’s triumph.
“You know what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs… it was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please,” said Kohli at the team’s felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium.
As India begin their title defence at that same stadium two years on, it will hope for an encore from their talismanic fast bowler. Having burst into the limelight playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Bumrah bowls the most important overs.
If there is a low total to defend, the captain trusts him with the new ball for early breakthroughs. In case of a flat pitch, he can be depended upon to bowl the slog overs. If the match is at a fifty-fifty stage, he can deliver the 19th over. When needed to build pressure with a couple of tight overs, he can be used in the middle overs. In a nutshell, he is a bowler for any situation.
His record in T20Is is superb – 107 wickets in 87 matches at a strike rate of 17.25 and economy rate of 6.55.
The secret of Bumrah’s success lies in his ambition to keep improving his game. In a press conference earlier last year during the England tour, he said: “I have always felt that I have got only one career I should be able to do everything, I wanted to learn everything, that is still my motivation, that if I have a lot of different armory up my sleeve, then in different conditions I can contribute more and I will have answers for every different kind of conditions.”
Though he has achieved everything there is to in this sport, nothing can match the high of lifting the trophy in front of the home crowd. That dream is unfulfilled. The 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia had ended in heartbreak for him in front of thousands in Ahmedabad.
This T20 World Cup at home therefore gives him another shot at glory, with the final again scheduled in his homeground, Ahmedabad (if Pakistan don’t make it that far).
The pace ace gives this Indian attack a different dimension. Some players help win matches. Champions like Bumrah help win big tournaments.