Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop branded Team India’s Jasprit Bumrah as a once-in-generation bowler. The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate can wait, but there is no denying that Jasprit Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler. Known for taking the conditions out of the equation and bowling pinpoint yorkers, pace ace Jasprit Bumrah was lauded by former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop in the lead-up to India’s match against Afghanistan at the ICC T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
After topping Group A at the grandest stage, Rohit Sharma’s Team India has arrived in the Caribbean for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup. Leading the Men In Blue pace attack, premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah guided Team India to a famous win over Pakistan in the low-scoring thriller at the T20 World Cup. Dishing out a match-winning performance for India, speedster Bumrah bagged three wickets and leaked 14 runs against Babar Azam’s Pakistan. Bumrah was named the Player of the Match for his bowling masterclass against Pakistan.
The Jasprit Bumrah show at T20 World Cup
Jasprit Bumrah is also assisted by speedster Arshdeep Singh, who has been the perfect wingman for the Indian pacer. During the same interaction, former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikanth backed Jasprit Bumrah to lead the Men In Blue in the Caribbean pitches. Speedster Bumrah picked up five wickets at the ICC event. In 11 overs, the pacer has conceded only 45 runs at the T20 World Cup.
Former England seamer Steven Finn reckons Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer are the two best bowlers in the world at the moment. The former Middlesex cricketer has ranked Bumrah at the top, with Archer close behind him.
Steven Finn rates Jofra Archer behind Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah among best bowlers
Former England seamer Steven Finn reckons Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer are the two best bowlers in the world at the moment. The former Middlesex cricketer has ranked Bumrah at the top, with Archer close behind him.
Jasprit Bumrah made his debut in 2016 and has emerged as one of Team India’s biggest match-winners across conditions and formats. The right-arm speedster’s yorker is among the best and has proved to be unplayable for even the best batters in the world.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Finn reflected that Archer’s current performance makes it look like he hasn’t been on the sidelines for too long. He said:
“The reason I love Jofra Archer is that he can spend however long out on the sidelines, then come in and hit the ground running, making it look as though he’s never been away. Jasprit Bumrah is a bit of a freak and the best in the world, but I’d say Jofra is behind him for his ability to read the situations.”
Archer marked his return to national colors in May against Pakistan, playing for the first time since March 2023. He has been in decent nick in the ongoing T20 World Cup, picking up five wickets in four matches at 13.50.
Steven Finn on England’s 2024 T20 World Cup campaign
Finn believes the defending champions will take plenty of confidence from their recent victories, but feels stumbling in ICC events at some stage is inevitable and doesn’t necessarily have to be an impediment to their chances. The 35-year-old added:
“I actually think that they’ll be feeling quite confident at the moment. The manner in which they’ve beaten the two associate nations in the last couple of games has allowed them to reconnect with what actually makes them a good team. Defeat against Australia has served as a scare to them, but I don’t think that to win world tournaments you necessarily want to be playing your best cricket all the way through.”
England’s Super 8 stage will commence with a fixture against co-hosts West Indies on Thursday in Gros Islet.