‘Jasprit Bumrah in a really tough spot’: Mumbai Indians pacer’s misery gets Ashwin’s backing amid lean IPL

Ashwin, who has shared the dressing room with Bumrah for years, backed him, saying he is going through a tough phase but wouldn’t label it as a loss of form.

Jasprit Bumrah has found himself in unfamiliar territory this season. Widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers of his generation, he is yet to pick up a wicket after five matches in the IPL. It’s a rare dry spell for someone known for delivering breakthroughs at crucial moments. As the games go by, the pressure is beginning to build, not just on Bumrah, but on the Mumbai Indians as a whole. The team has struggled to find momentum, losing four of their first five matches, and the absence of wickets from their biggest match-winner has only added to their concerns during this difficult phase.

Jasprit Bumrah has remained wicketless so far in IPL 2026. (REUTERS)

Things slipped further against Punjab Kings as he conceded 41 runs in his four overs, adding to the pressure on both himself and MI, who slumped to their fourth straight defeat.

Meanwhile, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has shared the dressing room with Bumrah for years, backed him, saying he is going through a tough phase but wouldn’t label it as a loss of form.

"We can easily say he gave away 40 runs and didn't pick up a wicket. But he's in a really tough spot. He has to stop the flow of runs and take wickets. To manage that in 24 balls is impossible. Also, he is a human being, too. Being out of form is common, and I won't even say he is out of form. His bowling isn't anything worrisome," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

In Thursday's match, there came a moment when the Wankhede was stunned as they saw Bumrah's short ball get smashed for a six, 10 rows back in the crowd by PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, as it almost sealed the fate of the match.

Ashwin suggested that the MI paceman was a bit desperate to take a wicket, which was evident on that ball, when Iyer smashed it for a six. In good rhythm, he just went for yorkers to defend runs.

"Today, Shreyas Iyer pulled him for a six. Bumrah needn't have even bowled that ball. When he is in good rhythm, if he wanted to defend the runs, he would have bowled a yorker to finish it. He's bowling the bouncers and slower balls to try and take a wicket, while also restricting the runs. So he's bowling every ball in his arsenal," he added.