Bumrah’s Brilliance Leaves Experts in Awe After MI Knock Out GT in IPL 2025 Eliminator

Jasprit Bumrah once again underlined his status as the premier T20 bowler in the world with a match-defining spell that helped Mumbai Indians (MI) eliminate Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025 Eliminator on Friday. Bumrah returned figures of 1 for 27 in a high-scoring encounter where the average run rate touched 11.20 across 40 overs. His miserly economy of 6.75 stood out as a masterclass in control and precision under pressure.

Former India pacer Varun Aaron described Bumrah’s impact as being like “a vaccine for any illness,” praising his ability to turn games around single-handedly.

“If you want wickets, he comes and gets you wickets. If you want to stop runs, he stops runs for you,” Aaron said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “You have an international coach panicking, and Bumrah just turns around and says, ‘Just calm down, I’ll do the job.’”

Aaron’s admiration centered around a sensational yorker Bumrah delivered in the 14th over to dismiss Washington Sundar. At the time, Sundar was batting fluently on 48 off 23 balls and leading GT’s charge alongside B Sai Sudharsan in pursuit of a daunting 229-run target. Bumrah’s pinpoint leg-stump yorker not only sent Sundar’s stumps flying but also swung the momentum decisively in MI’s favour. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster, GT’s chances of victory dropped from 41.82% to 23.31% after the dismissal.

“For him to bowl from that angle is really difficult,” Aaron added. “Washy was expecting something wide or in his arc. But that was just impossible to negotiate.”

The delivery, widely touted as a candidate for “ball of the tournament,” showcased Bumrah’s elite skill set. Notably, it was delivered to a well-set batter rather than a newcomer to the crease, underscoring the degree of difficulty and brilliance involved.

Tom Moody, former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach and seasoned cricket analyst, echoed the admiration, calling Bumrah “pure class” and highlighting the tactical dilemma he poses for opponents.

“The 24 balls he bowls are such a threat,” Moody said. “It’s so difficult to get big overs against him. You’re really playing 20 overs versus 16. That yorker to Sundar – you just don’t bowl a better ball than that. At pace, between the legs, to a set batter scoring at a 200 strike rate – it totally blew him away.”

Despite playing four matches fewer than most of his teammates, Bumrah currently tops the charts for best economy rate and average in IPL 2025 (minimum five overs bowled) and sits sixth on the overall wicket-takers list.

MI captain Hardik Pandya summed it up best, referring to Bumrah as “a luxury” in the post-match presentation. With his lethal precision and calm under fire, Bumrah remains the cornerstone of Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack as they gear up to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.