Vaibhav Arora said that he wishes to serve Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 the way Jasprit Bumrah serves the Indian team. The speedster has been with the three-time champions since 2023, having taken 33 wickets from 27 matches at an economy rate of 9.63.
The 28-year-old Vaibhav said he deeply admires Jasprit Bumrah’s impact across all phases of the game, adding that he hopes to become a similar game-changer, something the India pacer has built his reputation on.
“Absolutely, Jasprit Bumrah is someone I really look up to. No matter the format, whether it’s with the new ball, in the middle overs, or at the death, he always gives his best for the team and can suddenly change the game with his spell. I admire him a lot and try to become like him. I want to serve my team the way Bumrah serves India,” Vaibhav told The CricHub.
PRACTICE, PROCESS AND CONFIDENCE
Vaibhav said Bumrah’s advice to keep practising and repeating his process has stayed with him. The right-arm seamer added that the India pacer told him to keep bowling consistently, explaining that the more deliveries he bowls, the more his skills improve, his confidence grows, and his performances get better over time.
“Whenever I’m around him during the IPL, I make it a point to learn from him. Last year, when I was with the Indian team as a net bowler, Bumrah told me to just keep practising and repeating my process. He said the more you repeat your actions and bowl more deliveries, the better you become and the more confidence you build. That’s something I try to follow in my own game,” Vaibhav added.
Vaibhav enjoyed his best IPL campaign in 2025, picking up 17 wickets from 12 matches, although he was expensive at an economy rate of 10.11. He finished as KKR’s joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Varun Chakravarthy, but the Knight Riders failed to make the playoffs.
The right-arm seamer will now be eager to make an impact when KKR take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 29.
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