Sanju Samson didn’t hold back after India’s bowling fell apart without Jasprit Bumrah in the lineup, following their defeat in the fourth T20I against West Indies on Wednesday, October 16. He called Bumrah a ‘once-in-a-generation bowler’ and said, honestly, you can’t just replace a legend like him.
With Bumrah taking a break from the T20Is to focus on ODIs and Tests, India’s bowling looked shaky. West Indies made big scores—250 in the second T20I, then 247 in the fourth—which left the series tied at 2-2 with just one game to go.
Samson was full of praise for Bumrah, but he didn’t lose faith in India’s other bowlers. He pointed out that there’s a strong group coming up, and highlighted Prince Yadav’s recent performances.
“There is no replacement for Jasprit Bumrah. He is a once-in-a-generation kind of bowler, and we are very lucky to have him. But we have had some really good talent coming along also; Arshdeep (Singh) has been doing a great job, and also the way Prince Yadav has bowled in the last few games is very impressive. I feel we have some really good talent. The more we play them, the more we back them, the better they will become,” said Samson in a post-match press conference.
Samson himself had a standout moment in the Hyderabad clash, smashing 56 off just 23 balls. Still, it didn’t matter in the end—India lost by 24 runs. He’s hit two half-centuries in this series, but both ended up being just bright spots in defeat.
Looking at Bumrah’s schedule, his last match for India was in the 2026 Asian Games final against Pakistan. Up next, he’s expected to face New Zealand. T20Is probably aren’t on his agenda, and his ODI status is uncertain too, since the team is putting Test cricket first. The two-match red-ball series kicks off on November 19.