Dubai, September 25
Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took a swipe at former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif, following the ex-cricketer's remarks concerning skipper Suryakumar Yadav's move to have him bowl three overs at a stretch during the powerplay in the ongoing Asia Cup.
Taking to his X handle, Kaif wrote how under Rohit Sharma, Bumrah would bowl an over during powerplay, one during the middle overs and two during the death overs. He also pointed out that Bumrah prefers to bowl when his body is warmed up to avoid injury and how one over from Bumrah after the powerplay could "hurt India" against bigger teams.
"Bumrah under Rohit would generally bowl overs 1, 13, 17, 19. Under Surya, in Asia cup, he bowled a three-overs spell at the start. To avoid injury, Bumrah these days, prefers to bowl while his body is warmed up. 1 over of Bumrah in the remaining 14 overs is a huge relief for batters, against stronger teams at World Cup, this could hurt india," posted Kaif.
https://x.com/MohammadKaif/status/1971133240275591437
To this, Bumrah replied, "Inaccurate before inaccurate again"
https://x.com/Jaspritbumrah93/status/1971208332682854828
During Rohit's captaincy, Bumrah would at best bowl two overs during the powerplay and was also used as a wicket-taking option during the middle overs, with an over. He would mostly get two overs during death. However, during this tournament, Surya has given him a shot at bowling three powerplay overs, leaving him with just one over in the death overs. During his four games, Bumrah's figures at powerplay have been: 19/1 against UAE, 16/1 against Pakistan, 34/0 against Pakistan (Super Four), and 17/1 against Bangladesh (Super Four).
In the ongoing tournament, Bumrah has not been at his best of forms, having taken five wickets at an average of 22.00, with an economy rate of 7.33 and best figures of 2/18.
India will be taking on Sri Lanka on Friday. India are already in the finals and would like to keep their record of not losing any match in the tournament.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I think Kaif has a point though. Bumrah's injury management is crucial for the World Cup. Three overs in powerplay might be too much strain. Hope the team management knows what they're doing 🤔
Bumrah's reply is savage! 😂 "Inaccurate before inaccurate again" - straight to the point. These ex-cricketers should focus on supporting the team rather than constant criticism.
As a cricket fan, I appreciate different strategies. Surya is experimenting before the World Cup which is smart. Bumrah's figures in powerplay look decent except that one match against Pakistan.
Honestly, both have valid points. Kaif's concern about injury is genuine, but Surya needs to establish his own captaincy style. The real test will be in the World Cup against top teams.
Bumrah's economy rate of 7.33 is concerning. Maybe Kaif's analysis has some merit. The team should find the right balance between aggressive bowling and preserving our key players.
Let the captain and bowler decide what's best! They're the ones on the ground. Too much analysis from outside just creates unnecessary pressure. Team India is doing great in
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.