Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL form dips and numbers show why MI should be concerned

Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah is going through an unusual dip in form in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, with numbers showing a rare wicketless stretch that has raised concerns for the franchise.

In the latest match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium, Bumrah once again went without a wicket as Mumbai Indians lost the contest by 18 runs. The star fast bowler, who is usually MI’s biggest weapon with the ball, bowled crucial overs but could not break through the opposition batting lineup.

Shockingly, Bumrah has not picked up a wicket since the final game of the previous IPL season. He is now on a streak of 122 balls without a wicket, marking the longest wicketless run of his IPL career.

Also Read: Hardik Pandya sends warning to his own teammates; hints at big changes after massive loss: 'To be very honest...'

More from Firstcricket

Should Bumrah's form be a concern for MI?

Despite this, Bumrah's control with the ball has been strong. In most matches, the India star has still managed to keep his economy rate under 10, continuing to restrict opposition batters even when wickets are not coming his way.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also shared his view on the growing criticism around Bumrah’s wicket drought in IPL. Speaking on social media, Ashwin said that focusing only on wickets misrepresents Bumrah’s true impact.

"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 on X.

'Only a matter of time before he bounces back'

However, former India pacer Zaheer Khan has urged Bumrah to go for wickets rather than playing defensively. Although the former MI Director of Cricket pointed out that the lack of wickets could also be due to batters not looking to attack Bumrah and playing defensively against him, he still said that Bumrah taking wickets would be more helpful to the team than just restricting runs.

"It can happen, but I think it's also to do with the fact that if you're playing against Bumrah, you either decide that no matter what, don't give him wicket, be cautious against him. Play conservatively, don't look to be too aggressive. You know, all those kind of things that can make things tougher for him, even in this format," Zaheer said on Cricbuzz.

"But knowing Bumrah, he will take a note of that and it's only a matter of time that he goes a little extra aggressive with regard to going for wickets rather than waiting for things to happen," he added.

While Bumrah’s recent IPL numbers should be a concern for Mumbai Indians because of their poor team performance and a hat-trick of losses, it should not be a major headache for the pacer himself. Just last month, Bumrah was demolishing world-class batters on the biggest stages and even helped India defend their T20 World Cup crown.

It's just a matter of time before Bumrah finds his mojo back and starts controlling play with his bowling again.