'Watching him struggle like this is very painful' - Irfan Pathan on Jasprit Bumrah's struggles in IPL 2026
The 2026 season is 10 matches in, and Bumrah has just three wickets to his name, at an economy of 8.89, whilst averaging close to 110.
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Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his disappointment in watching Jasprit Bumrah struggle for the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).
The 2026 season is 10 matches in, and Bumrah has just three wickets to his name, at an economy of 8.89, whilst averaging close to 110. This is far from Bumrah’s form in the T20 World Cup, where he ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps to his name at an economy of just 6.21.
Pathan believes that a lack of wickets for Bumrah is directly proportional to his relatively high economy rate. There have been three instances in the current IPL where the right-arm fast bowler has gone for an economy rate of about 10 runs per over without taking a wicket.
"Last season, Jasprit Bumrah picked up 18 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of just 6.7. This season, though, he has really struggled. He has only 3 wickets in 10 games, and his economy is on the higher side as well. When wickets don't come, the economy rate naturally suffers. Right now, his bowling average is 105. Nobody expected a bowler of Bumrah's class to have such poor numbers. Especially after his brilliant performance in the T20 World Cup, watching him struggle like this is very painful,” Irfan Pathan said on JioHotstar.
Bumrah’s economy rate of 8.89 is his highest in his IPL career since the 2015 season, when he played just four games and took three wickets at an economy of 12.26. His overall economy rate in the IPL is 7.35, with a total of 186 wickets from 155 matches.
Krishnamurthy questions MI over Bumrah’s usage
Bumrah’s struggles in this year’s IPL have indirectly seen MI lag behind their rivals. The five-time champions are currently ninth in the standings, having picked up just six points from 10 matches, with qualification for the playoffs all but out of their reach. This is despite them winning their previous game against the Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium.
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