• Bumrah struggles tell bigger IPL story

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    Jasprit Bumrah has had a slow start to IPL 2026 and is yet to take a wicket. On the surface it looks poor, but it does not tell the full story, writes DYLAN JOHNSON.

    Bumrah’s career sets the benchmark. Across more than 150 IPL matches, he has taken over 180 wickets at an economy rate of roughly 7.30. He has built that record in the most difficult phases of an innings, particularly at the death.

    This season looks different. He has conceded 164 runs in 19 overs, an economy of 8.63. That is well above his IPL career numbers, but it reflects the conditions he is operating in. His T20I economy sits at 6.51, and just under seven across other domestic T20 competitions, underlining the gap.

    IPL 2026 is tracking towards being the highest-scoring season in the competition’s history. Totals above 200 have already passed 20 with just 25 matches played, continuing a pattern from 2025, when the tournament produced a record 52 such scores.

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    The pace of scoring has accelerated again. Combined totals above 400 have already been recorded 10 times, while the average run rate across the tournament is close to nine an over. That context matters when assessing individual performances.

    Bumrah is not alone. Across the competition, leading bowlers are conceding more than their career averages. Among the top 10 wicket-takers this season, only two are operating below nine runs an over. With scores of 180 no longer competitive, economies once measured in the low sevens now sit much closer to the tournament average.

    That does not remove accountability. Bumrah’s primary role remains taking wickets, and that part of his game has not yet clicked this season. A bowler of his quality is expected to influence matches through breakthroughs.

    An over that goes for eight used to be solid. In this IPL, it barely keeps you in the game. The scoring rate has shifted, and with it the standard for what is considered a competitive over.

    Bumrah has not been at his best. But the numbers sit inside a wider trend. This is a tournament where totals keep climbing and where even the best bowlers are conceding more than they usually would.

    Photo: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

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    Dylan Johnson