Legends of Indian Cricket Part 20: Jasprit Bumrah, the Unplayable

This is Part 20 of Legends of Indian Cricket, our 20-part series on the players who shaped the game in India. New here? Start with Part 1: Vinoo Mankad, or read the previous part, Part 19: R Ashwin.

A short, stuttering run-up, a sudden hyper-extended arm, and a ball that arrives faster and later than batters expect. Jasprit Bumrah, born in Ahmedabad in 1993, has a bowling action unlike anyone else's, and results to match.

From IPL to India

Bumrah was spotted by Mumbai Indians and made his international debut in early 2016. Within a couple of years, his yorkers at the death had made him one of the most valuable white-ball bowlers in the world.

A Test match force

• He made his Test debut in South Africa in 2018 and took five-wicket hauls in South Africa, England and Australia in his first year of Test cricket.
• He has taken Test wickets at an average below 20, outstanding for any fast bowler in any era.
• On the 2024–25 tour of Australia, he took 32 wickets, the most by an Indian in an overseas Test series, and captained India to victory in the first Test in Perth.

The 2024 T20 World Cup

Bumrah was named Player of the Tournament with 15 wickets at an economy rate of just over four runs an over. His late spell in the final against South Africa turned a likely defeat into India's first T20 world title since 2007.

Records and honours

• The first bowler to be ranked No. 1 in the ICC rankings in all three formats.
• The first Indian bowler with 100 wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
• Named ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year for 2024.

Managing the workload

Bumrah's unusual action puts heavy strain on his back, and he has missed long spells with injuries. India now carefully manage his workload to keep him fit for the biggest series.

Legacy in progress

Bumrah carries forward the tradition of pace pioneers such as Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan. His story is still being written.

Thank you for reading

That brings Legends of Indian Cricket to a close. Who would you add to the list? Tell us in the comments.

The complete Legends of Indian Cricket series

1. Vinoo Mankad
2. Bishan Singh Bedi
3. Sunil Gavaskar
4. Kapil Dev
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Anil Kumble
7. Rahul Dravid
8. Sourav Ganguly
9. VVS Laxman
10. Virender Sehwag
11. Mithali Raj
12. Jhulan Goswami
13. Harbhajan Singh
14. Zaheer Khan
15. Yuvraj Singh
16. MS Dhoni
17. Virat Kohli
18. Rohit Sharma
19. R Ashwin
20. Jasprit Bumrah

Statistics are for international cricket and are correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026; figures for active players will change.