As the dust continues to settle after the T20 World Cup’s conclusion on Sunday, where India triumphed over New Zealand with an emphatic 96-run victory in Ahmedabad, evaluations continue to be made regarding the Indian team’s performance on home turf over the last month. One of the players whose stock is the highest after the victory is Sanju Samson, who was rewarded with the player of the tournament award after his hot-streak to close the tournament.
However, was Samson India’s best player at the tournament? There is a case to be made that while Samson’s impact in the matches he played was immense, he was only present for five of India’s nine matches in the campaign. 321 runs in those 5 matches at a strike-rate of 200 speaks for itself – but does Jasprit Bumrah have a stronger case for his numbers across the campaign as a whole?
AB de Villiers certainly thinks so, a player who has had some famous battles against Bumrah during his playing days. Speaking on his YouTube channel and reflecting on the World Cup, the South African great made the case for Bumrah.
“It was a really close call between Sanju Samson and Bumrah. Bumrah was the top wicket-taker, and so he was pushing for the Player of the Tournament. But to me, there were pivotal moments and overs that he bowled that I felt like maybe he deserved more of a mention. It should have been closer,” said de Villiers.
‘Not easy unless you are Jasprit Bumrah’
In 8 matches in India’s campaign, Bumrah took 14 wickets, tied with Varun Chakravarthy for the most scalps in the marquee T20 event. The seamer’s wickets came at an economy of 6.2 – frankly unheard of at this level, particularly given the phases of the games he bowls, and the kind of pitches he bowled on to close the tournament.
Nailing yorkers and taking wickets in the three crucial games to end the tournament for India, Bumrah’s performances to keep England and New Zealand quiet while they were chasing 250+ was arguably as impactful as Samson’s contributions in those matches. De Villiers pointed out how being a fast bowler is a much stiffer task.
“It’s not easy to bowl as a fast bowler in India unless you are a Jasprit Bumrah. Even him, he was expensive in a couple of his overs during the tournament,” admitted de Villiers.
“But when it mattered most in the semifinal and final, he bowled insane overs. I’ve never seen anything like it. He is hittable, but when it matters, there is a different gear this guy hits, and he goes to a different planet. An incredible performer and an asset to cricket in India,” said the former RCB star emphatically, singing Bumrah’s praises.
Bumrah and Samson will next be present at the IPL, where they will further hone their skills in anticipation of different challenges that lay ahead for team India.
