Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Jasprit Bumrah: Who’s the best across all formats?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have together featured in 66 international games.
India’s fast-bowling revolution, largely due to two names, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. Together, they’ve played in 66 matches across formats between 2016 and 2022. While Bumrah has gone on to become a modern-day great, Bhuvneshwar, once India’s swing king, has gradually faded from the international setup. Yet, the Meerut-born seamer continues to shine in the IPL and domestic tournaments. In this article, CricTracker has compared the two in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, respectively.
Tests
In red-ball cricket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar excelled in especially in overseas conditions. His 2014 tour of England is still remembered, with the seamer bagging 19 wickets and three fifties, earning him a spot on the Lord’s honours board. Across 21 Tests, he claimed 63 wickets at 26.09, with a best of 6/82, and added valuable runs lower down the order. However, injuries and India’s shift toward pace-heavy lineups saw his Test career end in 2018.
On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah has been India’s pace spearhead since debuting in 2018. With his unorthodox action and love for bowling, Bumrah has become a natural threat. In just 50 Tests, he has bagged 226 wickets at 19.83, with 15 five-wicket hauls. His overseas heroics include match-winning spells in Australia, England, and South Africa.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best Bowling | 5W/10W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 21 | 63 | 26.09 | 6/82 | 4/0 | 2.94 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 50 | 226 | 19.83 | 6/27 | 15/0 | 2.78 |
ODIs
The UP-born's ODI career began with a dream delivery, bowling Mohammad Hafeez's first ball on debut in 2012. Known for his line and early swing, he was instrumental in India’s 2013 Champions Trophy win and later formed a lethal partnership with Bumrah. In 121 ODIs, he has taken 141 wickets at 35.11, with a best of 5/42. His ability to contain runs in the death overs made him a captain’s go-to bowler, though fitness issues limited his spot in the team in later years.
On the other hand, Bumrah revolutionized death bowling in ODIs. Since debuting in 2016, he’s become India’s most reliable white-ball pacer. With his pace, yorkers, and calmness under pressure, the right-arm pacer has turned crunch moments into match-winners. In 89 ODIs, he owns 149 wickets at 23.55, with a best of 6/19, maintaining an economy of 4.59. The duo formed a strong partnership and played a key role in India’s success between 2017 and 2019.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best Bowling | 5W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 121 | 141 | 35.11 | 5/42 | 1 | 5.08 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 89 | 149 | 23.55 | 6/19 | 2 | 4.59 |
T20Is
If there’s one format where both bowlers thrived together, is T20Is. Bhuvi became India’s reliable powerplay bowler, has been exceptional with his swing and slower variations. From dismissing Pakistan’s Nasir Jamshed on debut to picking 5/4 against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup, Bhuvi was a regular member of the team, featuring in all T20 World Cups from 2014 to 2022. Across 87 T20Is, he has 90 wickets at 23.10, with an economy of 6.96.
Meanwhile, Bumrah has been India’s go-to pacer at every phase of the game. With 96 wickets in 75 T20Is at 17.85 and an economy of 6.35, Bumrah’s ability to handle pressure has made him a global superstar. His spells have often restricted runs and broken partnerships.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best Bowling | 5W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 87 | 90 | 23.10 | 5/4 | 2 | 6.96 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 75 | 96 | 17.85 | 3/7 | 0 | 6.35 |
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