Partnerships Over Wickets: R Ashwin Defends Jasprit Bumrah’s “Drought”

Veteran spinner R Ashwin has come out in strong defense of Jasprit Bumrah, urging fans and analysts to look beyond the “wicketless” column. Despite Mumbai Indians’ 18-run loss to RCB on Sunday, where Bumrah went 0/35 in his four overs, Ashwin highlighted that the pacer’s value lies in his defensive pressure and execution.

Bumrah has now gone 122 balls without a wicket in the IPL, a streak extending back five matches to the 2025 Qualifier 2. However, Ashwin argues that focusing on this narrative could actually hurt the team’s strategy.

The “Defensive Group” Philosophy
Ashwin took to social media to explain that in high-scoring venues like the Wankhede, “choking” the opposition is often more valuable than chasing wickets.

Pressure over Poles: Ashwin noted that Bumrah’s ability to nail yorkers and restrict runs is paramount. “Him nailing yorkers and choking the opposition for every single run is even more important than him looking to get wickets,” he wrote.

Lack of Support: Ashwin pointed out that wicket-taking is a collective effort. “Your wicket-taking ability depends on your partners who hand the over to you.”

The Malinga Doctrine: He referenced Lasith Malinga’s mid-match comments, emphasizing that bowling in “partnerships as a defensive group” is a skill MI is currently lacking.

Statistical Context: Bumrah vs. The MI Bowling Unit
While the wickets aren’t falling for Bumrah, he remains statistically the most disciplined bowler in a struggling MI lineup.

Bumrah’s Last 5 IPL Outings:

0/35 (4) vs RCB

0/32 (3) vs MI (Previous Match)

0/21 (4)

0/35 (4)

0/40 (4)

The “Catch-Up” Problem
The lack of wickets from the other end—specifically from Trent Boult, who has managed only one scalp this season—has forced Bumrah to bowl defensively rather than aggressively. In the RCB fixture, MI leaked 71 runs in the powerplay and 53 at the death, forcing Bumrah to play the role of a “damage control” specialist rather than a strike bowler.

Skipper Hardik Pandya echoed these concerns, stating the team has been “catching up” rather than “leading” games.

“We really need to reflect, really need to see what best we can do and how we can get that momentum and that click which we require.” — Hardik Pandya