Jasprit Bumrah has yet to take a wicket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. 4 different oppositions, 15 overs, and 3 venues. Yet, a wicket evades him. His pace was a bit down against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals. It was clear he wasn’t bending his back.
Bowling slower than usual
It made sense. Unlike other centrally contracted Indian bowlers, Bumrah had spent extra time at the Centre of Excellence (CoE). In fact, he joined the Mumbai Indians on the eve of their opening match. He was holding himself back a bit. Perhaps he was instructed by the medical team at the CoE. Or it might be a decision he took on his own, fearing injury.
Whatever it was, his speed was down. But he wasn’t bowling poorly. In fact, he had the best economy in the first two matches. However, when Vaibhav Suryavanshi took him down in Guwahati, it started to feel a bit iffy. The moment after the 15-year-old hit him for a six on the first ball, one would’ve expected Bumrah to come hard at him. But it didn’t happen.
Wicketless for 20.2 overs
Against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he again went wicketless. His pace was up. He looked in better rhythm. Despite not taking another wicket, he was still the most economical bowler. Despite being off, only 3 bowlers who’ve bowled 15 or more overs have a better economy than Bumrah in IPL 2026.
But it’s true that wickets aren’t coming. It’s been 122 balls or 20.2 overs since Bumrah took a wicket. The IPL 2025 Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans was the last time he managed to register himself in the wickets column. But the question is, should MI be worried?
Jasprit Bumrah in last 5 IPL innings
- 0/40 (4) vs Punjab Kings, Ahmedabad
- 0/35 (4) vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Wankhede
- 0/21 (4) vs Delhi Capitals, Delhi
- 0/32 (3) vs Rajasthan Royals, Guwahati
- 0/35 (4) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Wankhede
Should Mumbai Indians be worried?
Well, the answer is yes and no. First, we must understand why Bumrah hasn’t been able to take wickets. Let’s take a look at how he was used in the RCB match. He bowled the 4th and 6th overs in the powerplay. At this stage, the ball wasn’t new. So, he got no help. Trent Boult and Hardik Pandya had already gone for runs and failed to take a wicket.
That means Bumrah has to bowl defensive lines. He can’t go wicket hunting, because it may lead to RCB scoring runs against MI’s best defensive bowler. For the 10 overs, he didn’t bowl. He comes on when RCB are 194/3 in 16 overs. The game’s already gone to some extent. Once again, his job is to stop the runflow.
So, MI is more or less setting him up for failure. They aren’t using Bumrah as a ticket-taker but as a lifesaver. Someone who’ll slow the run rate. But what they are forgetting is that he’s their best wicket-taker. They are blunting their sharpest tool. Bumrah’s former India teammate Ravichandran Ashwin also pointed out why, despite not taking wickets, Bumrah is doing the job for MI.
Yes, going wicketless for 4 matches is odd, but that doesn’t mean Bumrah is a worry for MI. His speed is up, and the accuracy seems better. It’s only a matter of time before he takes a wicket in IPL 2026.
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