'The ‘lack of wickets’ narrative is…' - R Ashwin shuts down Jasprit Bumrah’s critics after four wicketless outings

Former Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has backed Jasprit Bumrah despite his wicketless start to the 2026 Indian Premier League. The ace speedster is yet to pick up a wicket after four games. Despite this, he has bowled at an economy rate of 8.53, being able to control the flow of runs.

Ashwin believes that Bumrah’s role extends beyond wickets, especially at a ground like the Wankhede in Mumbai, where the wicket favours the batters and the boundaries are small. His role in stopping the flow of runs is more vital for the team than his taking wickets, as per Ashwin.

"The lack of wickets narrative for Bumrah can hamper the teams cause! Him nailing yorkers and choking the opposition for every single run is even more important than him looking to get wickets, especially in venues like the Wankhede,” Ashwin wrote in a post on X.

The Mumbai Indians have been poor with the ball in 2026, having picked up just 14 wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 11.19, the worst in the tournament. Ashwin added that wicket-taking is not just the job of one bowler, but  that of the entire bowling unit. 

"When you can’t bowl overs on the trot, your wicket taking ability depends on your partners who hand the over to you. We have had so many years of T20 cricket now & bowling in partnerships as a defensive group is still a seed in the minds of bowling groups. Malinga nailed it, when he spoke during the 10th over mark", he added.

Mumbai Indians lost their third game of the season, being beaten by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 12. They put on 240/4 in the first innings, which the five-time champions failed to chase down, falling short by 18 runs. Bumrah was the most economical bowler for MI, conceding 40 runs in his four overs, but was unable to pick up a single wicket.