Jasprit Bumrah: India's Best Fast Bowler, Unorthodox Action, Sub-25 Test Average, ICC Number One Ranked
Jasprit Bumrah is an Indian right-arm fast bowler, widely regarded as the best fast bowler in the world across all formats during the 2020s. Born in Ahmedabad in 1993, he made his Test debut in 2018 and quickly established himself as India's premier fast bowler with a unique, unorthodox bowling action — a short run-up with an explosive, round-arm delivery — that generates reverse swing, conventional swing, and sharp pace from a deceptive trajectory. He maintained a Test average below 23 in his first 40+ Tests, achieved ICC Test bowling rankings at number one, and led India's bowling attack in all conditions — including pace-and-bounce overseas venues in England, South Africa, and Australia.
Jasprit Bumrah was born on 6 December 1993 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, and grew up without formal cricket coaching before being identified as an exceptional talent in domestic cricket for Gujarat. He made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2013 and quickly became one of the most feared death bowlers in T20 cricket — his unorthodox action, which combines a short three-step run-up with a high, round-arm delivery that appears to come from behind his hip, generates both pace and deceptive trajectory that batters struggle to read early. He made his ODI debut in 2016, his T20I debut in 2016, and his Test debut in South Africa in January 2018.
Test Bowling: Unorthodox Action, Sub-23 Average, ICC Number One
Bumrah's Test record is among the finest of any fast bowler who played the majority of their career in the 2010s and 2020s. He took 5-wicket hauls in England (at Lord's, where he took 9 wickets in the match in August 2021), South Africa, West Indies, and Australia. His bowling average in Tests was consistently below 23 across his first 40+ Tests — a mark that places him alongside the fastest-bowling averages in modern Test history. He reached the ICC Test bowling rankings at number one in 2023. His ability to reverse-swing the old ball at 90mph in the late stages of a Test innings is particularly valuable: unlike most fast bowlers, who primarily threaten early with the new ball, Bumrah remains dangerous throughout both innings of a Test match.
White-Ball Excellence and Death Bowling
Bumrah's white-ball record matches his Test career: he was India's first-choice death bowler in ODIs and T20Is across the 2018–2024 period, consistently bowling the 18th, 19th, and 20th overs of an ODI innings and the 19th and 20th overs of T20 matches with economy rates below 7.5 and wicket-taking rates that placed him among the world's elite. He was the standout fast bowler in the 2024 T20 World Cup campaign (2 for 18 in the final) and in the 2023 ODI World Cup (15 wickets in 7 matches). A back stress fracture sidelined him for extended periods in 2019–20 and 2023, but he returned on each occasion and immediately re-established himself as the world's premier fast bowler. He was named Player of the Series in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Jasprit Bumrah's bowling action described as unorthodox?
Jasprit Bumrah's bowling action is unorthodox because it combines a very short three-step run-up (unlike most fast bowlers who use long run-ups to generate pace) with a round-arm delivery in which the bowling arm comes through from a wide, almost horizontal position behind the hip. The combination of short run-up, unusual arm position, and release point makes the trajectory of the ball very difficult for batters to read at pace. Despite the unconventional action, Bumrah generates sharp pace, both conventional and reverse swing, and accurate yorkers at the death.
What are Jasprit Bumrah's career cricket statistics?
Jasprit Bumrah has maintained a Test bowling average below 23 across 40+ Tests — one of the best averages by any fast bowler in the 21st century. He reached the ICC Test bowling rankings at number one in 2023. In ODIs, he is India's leading death bowler with an economy rate consistently below 5.5. In the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, he took 2 for 18. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, he took 15 wickets in 7 matches. He has taken 5-wicket hauls in Tests in England, South Africa, and the West Indies.