Unplayable yorker, inevitable genius: How Jasprit Bumrah sank the Gujarat Titans

India Today

a day ago

Wasn't that yorker special? Let's get to that a little later.Can excellence be made to look effortless? Can mastery feel routine? Ask an artist, a writer, or an athlete. They'll tell you how rare it is to create something that satisfies both the soul and the world. Greatness is usually a grind; brilliance, a fleeting reward.But then, there are exceptions.advertisementMichael Phelps slicing through water like a force of nature. Usain Bolt turning races into parades. Simone Biles rewriting the laws of gravity. Mondo Duplantis soaring beyond limits. These are athletes who made perfection look like second nature. Jasprit Bumrah belongs in that league.
With every spell, every searing yorker, he makes you wonder if it's all inevitable. Excellence, in his hands, feels like an everyday affair.By now, we've seen countless spells where Jasprit Bumrah has painted masterpieces across the 22 yards: the searing yorkers, the deceptive slower balls, the inswingers that crash into the stumps, the outswingers that kiss the edge and fly to the slip cordon.MOMENTUM MEETS GENIUSFriday's IPL 2025 Eliminator between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans was yet another blessed evening for cricket lovers. It was another chance to witness a master at his zenith.advertisementMumbai Indians were in their element on the big stage. In a tactical masterstroke, the five-time champions chose to bat first in Mullanpur - a day after Punjab Kings were skittled for 101 at the same venue.Captain Hardik Pandya said at the toss that the pitch at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium wasn't quite the same as the one where Royal Challengers Bengaluru's pacers ran riot the day before. He was confident it would play better - and MI made the most of the batting-friendly surface.Powered by Rohit Sharma's 50-ball 81, a brutal cameo from Jonny Bairstow, and useful contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik himself, Mumbai piled on a daunting 228.Gujarat Titans, ever the scrappy underdogs, weren't ready to roll over even after losing captain Shubman Gill for just 1.Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, batting at No. 4, flipped the script with a stunning 84-run stand off just 44 deliveries.By the end of the 13th over, Gujarat were cruising at 148 for 2.Sai, calm as ever, was accumulating at pace without fuss; Washington, meanwhile, showed why he's so highly rated in Indian cricket circles, launching crisply timed big hits. Gujarat had plundered 63 runs between overs 9 and 13, and hope was very much alive.THAT YORKERadvertisementThe game was slipping away from Mumbai when Hardik turned to his Mr Dependable.And the inevitable happened.The runs were flowing until Bumrah returned for his second spell. Then, they slowed to a trickle.1, 1, 1... and Boom.The fourth delivery of the over was pure magic. From over the wicket, Bumrah unleashed a searing yorker aimed at Washington Sundar's boots. The left-hander got into a tangle trying to dig it out - his legs wide apart, bat flailing. But the ball, travelling at over 140 kph, sliced through the gap and shattered the stumps.Sundar collapsed in a heap: ugly, awkward, undone.Two moments of brillianceWere these two the defining moments of the #Eliminator?Scorecard https://t.co/R4RTzjQfph#TATAIPL | #GTvMI | #TheLastMile | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/7hDL0s5Mye— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 30, 2025"Even if he had held position there, it would have crushed his toe. It's a pure survival instinct. You try to score runs and then you enter survival mode. He just fell over there. It was an absolute peach of a delivery. This was the game-changing moment," former India batter Robin Uthappa said, reflecting on how Sundar forgot he was in the middle of a match and just wanted to get out of harm's way for a fraction of a second.advertisementCan't blame Sundar, right?The smiling assassin let out a rare expression of emotion, as if he was telling Sundar: enough fun for one day.It took just one delivery to drain the momentum from Gujarat's chase. You could almost feel the shiver run through their dugout.Sai Sudharsan fell soon after, walking back for a well-crafted 80 - and with him went Gujarat's hopes.Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia swung for the fences, but the equation was slipping away - and they still had one more Bumrah over to contend with.When the magician returned, he sealed the deal with clinical precision - conceding just nine runs in the 17th over, with Gujarat needing 45 off the final 18 balls.Legendary AB de Villiers summed up what millions were thinking, recalling a simple lesson he'd passed on to his son: when Bumrah's around, never count his team out."This guy does it so often. I actually told my son before Bumrah bowled his last two overs: 'The game isn't over until he's done. Watch what happens once he's finished his spell. That's when you'll know the result.'"advertisementBefore that over, Gujarat's win probability stood at 42 percent. By the end of it - after just four runs and another shattered set of stumps - it had dropped by nearly 20.Perhaps it's time for the win predictors to evolve. When Bumrah's holding the ball, forget the math - it's destiny that takes over.THE BUMRAH CHEAT CODEMumbai Indians have the luxury of a cheat code.Captain Hardik Pandya summed it up simply: deciding when to bowl Bumrah isn't hard.Whenever the game seems to be slipping, he knows it's time to hand him the ball. It's the same mantra former captain Rohit Sharma followed for years."It's a luxury. It's like Mumbai housing prices."Captain Hardik Pandya heaps praise on Jasprit Bumrah's match-winning abilities after a thrilling win #TATAIPL | #GTvMI | #Eliminator | #TheLastMile | @mipaltan | @hardikpandya7 | @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/IJEaCurt58— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 30, 2025There's no escaping Bumrah.In his first match of IPL 2025 - returning from a long injury lay-off - Bumrah conceded 29 runs in his four overs against RCB, who racked up 229. Since then, barring two outings, he hasn't given away more than 30 in a single match. In 11 games, he has 18 wickets at an economy rate of 6.36 - in a season dominated by batters.advertisementOpposition teams avoid taking risks against him - unless absolutely necessary. These days, even his full tosses are treated with respect.RESPECT, REPUTATION, RHYTHMSo what makes him special? Here's an excellent insight from legendary West Indies quick Ian Bishop."Jasprit is a great communicator. He thinks deeply about the game. That's the foundation. Yes, he has pace - but more importantly, he's developed variations. And he knows better than most when to use them," Bishop told IndiaToday.in last year."He'll tell you himself: it's not every day he goes stump-hunting. Some days it's the yorker, some days it's the wide yorker. Other times, it's the slower ball into the pitch or the sharp bouncer.""He's got that unique action and with that, the ball gets on to you quicker than expected. That's partly why even his full tosses are hard to put away."And then, of course, there's reputation. When I bowled with Curtly Ambrose, you'd see Matthew Hayden play him with respect - and then come after me. That's the kind of respect Bumrah has earned."Flat tracks. Green tops. Dusty subcontinent wickets. Red ball. White ball. T20s. ODIs. Tests. Bumrah's brilliance doesn't waver. It adapts. It endures.When you face Bumrah, you're not really playing a 20-over game. You've only got 16 to work with. Because four of those, the most crucial four , belong to him. And more often than not, he'll come for you. And get you.Beware, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Your elusive title won't be won until you get past Bumrah.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!
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