Bhathiya Barukanda
Helping India lift the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Barbados, Jasprit Bumrah’s campaign was capped off by Aramco Player of the Tournament accolades.
Jasprit Bumrah’s T20 World Cup 2024 will go down in history as one of the greatest individual campaigns ever seen in the event’s history.
Collecting 15 wickets at an average of 8.26, Bumrah finished with an astonishing economy of just 4.17, by far and away the best rate of those to bowl a minimum of 20 overs at the tournament. He joins teammate Virat Kohli (a two-time winner) as India players to claim the Player of the Tournament award.
From the glitz of New York in the north to toil of Guyana in the south and culminating with silverware in Barbados, we take a look at his all-conquering campaign.
Coming up big in the Big Apple
India began their tournament stateside at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, and while bowlers enjoyed their share of the spoils on a friendly surface, Bumrah remained a point of difference.
The right-armer’s first three overs of the tournament against Ireland leaked just six runs, claiming wickets of Harry Tector and Josh Little, holding their opponents to just 96. The quick was crowned Player of the Match for his efforts, a feat he then matched in perhaps a more pivotal performance against Pakistan four days later.
Defending just 119, Bumrah struck to remove Babar Azam inside the Powerplay, finding the opposing skipper’s outside edge and into the hands of Suryakumar Yadav. He returned to beat Mohammad Rizwan in what proved to be the match’s turning point, before deceiving Iftikhar Ahmed to finish with figures of 3/14 (4), conceding just the one boundary.
Putting the ‘Super’ in Super Eights
Across the 12 overs bowled in the Super Eight phase of the tournament, and across three grounds, Bumrah finished with 6/49 in a four day stretch to help India top of the group.
Afghanistan’s batters had no answer against him in the Barbados, with both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai undone by change-of-pace deliveries to fall inside the Powerplay. He returned to remove Najibullah Zadran, conceding just seven in his four overs in another victory.
The India camp then moved to Antigua to face Bangladesh, with Bumrah this time doing his damage at the backend to prevent any late challenge of his side’s 196. More off-pace bowling was the order to remove opposition skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, before he hurried up Rishad Hossain for his second to finish with 2/13.
Runs flowed in India’s final Super Eights match, taking on Australia in St Lucia, and it was Bumrah’s expertise at the death that again pulled his side through.
As the Australians looked to make one final launch for India’s 205/5, the in-form Travis Head was stymied by Bumrah, whose dipping off-cutter in the 17th over forced a miscue to Rohit Sharma to all but seal India’s top-spot finish.
Stepping up: Sealing silverware with strong semi, final performances
Not one to shy away from the big occasion, Bumrah was a presence in both India’s semi-final win against England in Guyana, and in the finale against the Proteas to lift the trophy in Barbados.
Teaming up with the left-arm orthodox of Axar Patel at the other end, Bumrah consigned the English to 34/2 in the fifth over, beating Phil Salt and making a mess of the stumps, again with an off-cutter almost too hard to pick out of his hand.
The opening spell set the tone for India, who held the English at bay in the chase, and the quick returned to trap Jofra Archer lbw to seal India’s final ticket.
As his teammates posted 176/7 in the final against South Africa in Bridgetown, Bumrah went to work in the second over of India’s bowling effort, and arguably saved his best for last with a dream dismissal of Reeza Hendricks with his third delivery.
Belying his bowling action – which points to moving the ball into the right hander – Bumrah managed to swing the ball away from Hendricks at pace, squaring the opener up before hitting the top of his off-stump.
Then, with South Africa needing 21 from the final 15 balls, Bumrah nipped one back between Marco Jansen’s bat and pad to leave the Proteas six down and ultimately too far behind in the contest.
He finished with 2/18 (4), as India closed out a seven-run win.
Sources by : icc cricket.com
