Bumrah the Superpower in the Death Overs, Du Plessis Impressed

After India’s victory over England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup, South Africa’s former captain Faf du Plessis heaped praise on Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. According to him, Bumrah is a “superpower” that any captain would dream of having in their team.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, du Plessis said India should realize how fortunate they are to have Bumrah in their ranks. Regardless of the format, if you hand him the ball, he has the ability to win matches. In du Plessis’ words, “It’s like having a genie—you just rub the lamp and out comes Bumrah.”

The semi-final in Mumbai turned into a run-fest, with the combined total of both teams nearing 500 runs. After India posted 253, England finished their chase on 247. Even in such a high-scoring match, Bumrah proved to be the difference.

During England’s innings, he bowled four overs, took one wicket and conceded only 33 runs. While the average run rate in the match was over 12 per over, Bumrah maintained an economy rate of just 8.25. He bowled the fifth, eleventh, sixteenth and eighteenth overs during England’s chase.

According to du Plessis, Bumrah’s success is not only due to practice and skill but also because of his unique bowling action. He said, “Bumrah’s action is so different that it’s hard to pick when the ball leaves his hand. It’s not just skill, there’s also the mystery of his action—much like Lasith Malinga back in the day.”

He added that if an ordinary bowler misses the length and delivers a low full toss, it usually gets hit for six. But in Bumrah’s case, batters often struggle to time the ball properly, even when he misses his length.

Du Plessis also praised India captain Suryakumar Yadav for the way he used Bumrah in the match. Bringing him into the attack at crucial moments, particularly towards the end of the innings, proved to be a perfect decision.

With England needing 45 runs from the last three overs and Jacob Bethell batting well, Bumrah delivered a series of yorkers and conceded just six runs, which effectively sealed the game for India.

Du Plessis concluded by saying that Bumrah can contribute at any stage of the innings, but his real “superpower” is in the death overs, when the pressure is at its highest.