No bowler, barring the retired Lasith Malinga, can match Jasprit Bumrah's ability to single-handedly win matches for his team and that is why the Indian pace spearhead is the superstar of the ongoing IPL, feels former spinner Harbhajan Singh. Bumrah lived up to his reputation with a five-wicket haul against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an IPL match here on Thursday evening to share the purple cap with Yuzvendra Chahal. Impressed with his performance, Harbhajan said the humble bowler is second to none. (IPL 2024 points table)
“To see him bowling from day one and today, there is a huge difference. He has learned the game well. He wants to learn every day, even if today he has five wickets, he will go back and tomorrow, he will watch the videos of himself and where he can improve,” Harbhajan told Star Sports on 'Cricket Live'.
“And he is so calm and composed. When it comes to pressure, no one does it better than what he does. People often talk about Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, because it is a batsman's game. But when you talk about the superstars of the game, he is by far the superstar of the IPL, I think.
“He wins games on his day, like nothing. So how many hitters have done that?” he asked.
The only bowler who comes close to Bumrah's brilliance is Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga, who incidentally is the bowling coach of his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
“If you count three to four batters, but when you see the bowlers, it's only Bumrah or Malinga in the entire format. So unbelievable. So the most important thing is he wants to learn and he wants to get better every day.”
“And he's still very humble, very calm and very, very hardworking… It's a great lesson for all young people. When you practice, practice like you're playing the game,” he noted.
Harbhajan was also effusive in his praise for Suryakumar Yadav, who struck a half-century on Thursday to announce his return to form after struggling with injuries for the past three months.
“When Suryakumar Yadav stars, you don't want to see anyone. When I see this guy, I think he is a better version of AB De Villiers… if I was part of a team, he would be my first choice when he comes at the auction,” he said.
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