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IPL 2020: Keeping it simple key to Jasprit Bumrah’s hit rate

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Oct 27, 2020 10:33 PM IST

IPL 2020: Ever since he first burst on to the scene in IPL 2013, Bumrah has been on the money—be it opening the bowling, in the middle overs, at the death or while delivering the Super Over.

Kolkata Knight Riders required 96 in the last five overs against Mumbai Indians in the fifth game of IPL 2020 and were well-placed with skipper Eoin Morgan and destructive Andre Russell ready to launch. Rohit Sharma gave the ball to his trump card Jasprit Bumrah and like always, the Gujarat pacer delivered. Within a four balls Bumrah sent back Russell and Morgan and with it perished KKR’s chances of victory.

Ever since he first burst on to the scene in IPL 2013, Bumrah has been on the money—be it opening the bowling, in the middle overs, at the death or while delivering the Super Over. When it comes to landing telling blows in this edition as well, Bumrah is right up there alongside Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Shami. Some of his prized scalps besides Morgan and Russell—twice—include KL Rahul, Steve Smith, Mayank Agawal and Ambati Rayudu among others. He is MI’s most successful bowler this season with 17 scalps. (IPL 2020 Full Coverage)

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One of the best exponents of the yorker, Bumrah has varied his line and length to catch batsmen off guard. At first instance he bowled Russell with a good length ball that was delivered at pace and angled in. Second time around, his short one kept chasing Russell who tried to sway away but couldn’t, edging it to the wicketkeeper.

Recently Kings XI were comfortably cruising towards victory with skipper Rahul in command but Bumrah stepped in again, bowled a perfect yorker to which Rahul had no answer. It changed the complexion of the match and took it to the Super Over where he conceded just five runs which MI weren’t able to chase down and lost the contest in the second Super Over.

In the first week of October, chasing 194 for victory, Rajasthan Royals banked on skipper Smith to start firing but Bumrah had other plans. He bowled one outside the off stump. Smith, in his eagerness, followed it and only ended up edging it. Bumrah picked up another three as MI won by 57 runs.

Speaking ahead of their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday, Bumrah said he doesn’t try to complicate things and it works for him.

“I just try to keep it simple. I try to assess the wicket, the situation, boundary sizes and then choose my options. It’s very easy to say, ‘you should just bowl yorkers, just bowl slower one’. (In the end) you have to be very proactive, very smart (with) what approach you want to adapt and how the wicket is behaving. So all these things I keep in mind and try to do what I can,” said Bumrah, who is MI’s second-most successful bowler in IPL history behind Lasith Malinga and needs just one wicket to reach the 100-wicket mark.

“It’s always difficult when you bowl in a pressure situation. I try to do things that are in my control, I try to stay in the present, take it one ball at a time and segregate the whole situation.”

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