Can Jasprit Bumrah become India’s most successful in international cricket?

It would not be wrong to say that Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best bowlers in the world, having taken 397 wickets in just 195 games for the Indian national cricket team from 2016 to 2024, at the age of 30. He has elevated Indian bowling to new heights by being the lead bowler for the Men in Blue in recent years. However, there was a time when he was criticized by former cricketers for his unusual bowling action. Today, the same critics can be seen applauding India’s greatest bowler, especially after he was awarded the Player of the Series Award following his match-winning performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, where he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for India with 15 wickets in 8 games at an average of 4.

After playing a crucial role in winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against South Africa, even the star batter of the Indian national cricket team praised the fast bowler for his impeccable performance. When South Africa required 30 runs from 30 balls, Bumrah led the team to victory by defending the match, ultimately winning by 7 runs.

You know what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please…” 

Bumrah has consistently demonstrated his incredible bowling ability to the cricketing world, whether it's by finding crucial breakthroughs for the Indian team or leading them to victory with his toe-crushing yorkers that can surprise any batter in the world. Despite being known as the top bowler for the Indian national cricket team, the question of whether the right-arm fast bowler can surpass former Indian captain Kapil Dev’s record of being the highest wicket-taker for India in all formats remains unanswered.

Let’s look at the possible reasons for this:

1. Jasprit Bumrah's Current Form:

The 30-year-old cricketer has been in red-hot form since his return from a stress fracture. He was among the leading wicket-takers for India in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, taking 20 wickets in 11 games with an economy rate of 4.06. His impeccable bowling skills played a significant role in taking the Indian team to the final. He also finished the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League as the highest wicket-taker for the Mumbai-based franchise, followed by a stellar performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Based on these stats and Bumrah's performance over the past two years, he has the potential to surpass Kapil Dev’s record of 687 wickets to become India’s leading wicket-taker in international cricket.

2. Age and Fitness:

The Mumbai Indians' star pace bowler is currently 30 years old. The last injury he suffered was in 2022, which kept him out of the game for almost 8 months, but he made a solid comeback. Considering Bumrah's age and fitness, it's clear that Indian fans can expect to see him play for at least another five years. However, the Indian team management must ensure that the fast bowler gets adequate rest to manage his workload and prevent injuries.

India's squad for the 1st Test vs Bangladesh:

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

It will be interesting to see how India’s best bowler performs after a two-month break in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting on 19th September 2024 in Chennai.