Jasprit Bumrah delivered another clinical performance under pressure, setting up Mumbai Indians’ 20-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator with a trademark masterclass in death bowling. With the Titans threatening to pull off a stunning chase in Mullanpur, it was Bumrah’s incredible spell that broke their charge and reaffirmed his place as the tournament’s most fearsome weapon with the ball.
Gujarat were cruising at 151/2 in 13.3 overs while chasing a daunting target of 229 when Bumrah produced the breakthrough that turned the game. He delivered a pinpoint yorker to dismiss Washington Sundar, who had smashed 48 off 24 balls and was scoring at a strike rate of 200. From there, Gujarat’s innings unravelled. They lost momentum and eventually fell short at 208/6.
“Bumrah did his work like he always does. If he had not taken Washington’s wicket, he was batting at a strike rate of 200, the match might have been a lot more tight. I used to remember Shane Warne being haunted by Sachin Tendulkar in his dreams, now in this age, every batter is haunted by Bumrah in their dreams,” former KKR batter Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.
The Mumbai pacer finished with figures of 1/27 in his four overs, conceding just eight runs in his final over. More than just numbers, it was the impact of his spell that left a lasting mark. The wicket of Sundar, in particular, halted a dangerous partnership and left Gujarat scrambling for answers.
Tiwary on MI post Bumrah’s return
Tiwary also pointed to Bumrah’s return from injury as a defining moment in MI’s campaign.
“The success that MI have now, their mantra has been Bumrah. Ever since he has joined the team from injury, MI’s results have picked up. It is a fact, there are no two ways about it. When Bumrah is there, their bowling gets so strong that more than half of the work is sorted for the captain, because he is never expensive in his spell,” said the former batter.
Captain Hardik Pandya echoed that sentiment after the match. “Whenever you think the game is getting far, just hand him the ball,” he said.
With 18 wickets in 11 games at an economy of 6.36, Bumrah remains Mumbai’s biggest asset heading into Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad.
