Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth has urged Jasprit Bumrah to take a leaf out of Jofra Archer’s book amid the ongoing IPL 2026. Srikkanth reckons Bumrah bowled a lot of slower balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai and he shouldn’t have done that.
Bumrah has scalped only two wickets in eight matches of the ongoing season at an average of 132 and an economy rate of 8.80. The ace pacer had another tough night against Sunrisers Hyderabad as he returned with expensive figures of 0-54 in his four overs.
The gun fast bowler has always been a consistent performer for MI over the years but he failed to hit the right areas in the ongoing season. Jofra Archer, on the other hand, has scalped 14 wickets in nine matches at an average of 19.50 and economy rate of 8.27.
Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel, “Even Bumrah bowled too many slower ones. You have the new ball with you and two left-handers in front of you. Try to nick them off. Bumrah bowling so many slower deliveries with the new ball is of no use. See what Archer is trying to do in the last few matches. He’s bowling at full throttle and nicking batters off caught behind and at slips. That’s what Bumrah should try to do.”
“Bumrah is not getting that zip at all. Not one delivery looked threatening. Maybe he is tired, so I am not blaming him. But he is clearly not at his best. He is trying hard but looking very ordinary.”
Srikkanth highlighted that the batting trio of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir were able to score 34 runs off just 27 balls and it turned out to be the major difference between the two teams.
“The 27 balls between Surya, Tilak, and Naman Dhir yielded only 34 runs. They went at barely a run-a-ball, and that’s where MI got stuck. These three needed to go at a 200 strike rate. Instead, they ate up balls, and that’s where MI lost the game,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
The former Indian skipper praised Ehsan Malinga, who returned with impressive figures of 1-29 in his quota of four overs.
“Malinga bowled an unbelievable spell. He pulled the game back for them. Otherwise, the score would have been 270. MI’s last four overs of batting, when they scored only 41, is where SRH beat them. What should have been 60 runs was only 41. That’s where the game changed. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav could not get going.”
Mumbai Indians will next take on arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Saturday.
