Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has showered praise on ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah following his spectacular, match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand. The championship decider was held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8, where India secured their third T20 World Cup title.
Pathan lauded Bumrah’s unparalleled brilliance, stating definitively that no player could ever match his unique talent or fill his shoes. He underscored Bumrah’s exceptional economy rate, which remarkably hovered around six runs per over throughout the entire tournament—a truly extraordinary feat, especially considering the high-scoring nature of matches, including India’s own impressive total of 255/5 in the final. Bumrah’s crucial contribution saw him take 4 wickets for just 15 runs in his four overs, playing a decisive role as the Black Caps were dismissed for 159, falling short by 96 runs.
“Jasprit Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation talent. There will never be anyone quite like him, no one who can possibly replace him. He is a truly special player. He finished with 14 wickets, matching Varun Chakaravarthy. But look at his economy rate! It stayed around six or even less in a World Cup where teams were scoring close to 250 runs, and he consistently brought the opposition to its knees. That defines the kind of bowler Jasprit Bumrah is,” Pathan articulated on his YouTube channel.
Pathan further highlighted Bumrah’s mastery of deception, particularly his strategic deployment of slower deliveries. He pointed out that in one specific spell, 14 out of 18 balls were slower ones, yet the New Zealand batters remained unable to connect cleanly. Bumrah concluded the tournament as the joint-highest wicket-taker, claiming 14 wickets across eight matches at an outstanding average of 12.2, a strike rate of 12, and an economy rate of 6.21.
“Even today, if you analyze his first three overs, it was evident that 14 out of those 18 balls were slower deliveries. Just imagine that! Is there any other bowler who can bowl 14 slower balls out of 18 deliveries and still prevent the batter from hitting him? It’s almost an impossible task. But that’s Bumrah’s unique capability. Batters are aware he consistently uses the slower one, yet it remains incredibly difficult to attack him,” Pathan explained.
Drawing on his extensive experience of over two decades in professional cricket, Pathan emphatically declared Bumrah the ‘GOAT’ (Greatest Of All Time) in white-ball cricket for India. He proclaimed that Bumrah’s presence instills pride in the Indian team across the globe, urging fans to relish and appreciate his extraordinary bowling prowess. Across all formats of the game, Bumrah boasts an impressive career record of 504 wickets from 236 matches, maintaining an average of 20.49.
“In my opinion, having played professional cricket for over 20 years, I have genuinely never witnessed a white-ball bowler quite like Jasprit Bumrah. His skill set is truly extraordinary and absolutely deserves immense recognition,” Pathan affirmed. “He is the GOAT. He stands as the greatest of all time when it comes to white-ball cricket for India. There is no doubt about it, because he doesn’t just accomplish difficult feats once; he performs them repeatedly, especially in high-pressure matches. He took four wickets here, and it is because Jasprit Bumrah is in the team that the Indian cricket team walks with pride across the world. As long as he continues to play, everyone should enjoy watching his bowling and consider themselves incredibly fortunate that India possesses a bowler of Jasprit Bumrah’s caliber.”
