Mumbai Indians, who are no longer as dominant in bowling as they used to be, desire to utilise Bumrah throughout the entire match. However, it might be more advantageous for them to consider altering their strategies.
Are Mumbai Indians effectively utilising their top bowling resource?
This question is on everyone's mind after the IPL's top-performing team has had a poor start with two consecutive defeats. Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best fast bowler in T20 cricket, has only bowled one over in the powerplay in both of Mumbai Indians' matches so far.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Dominate Mumbai Indians
In the first match, when Bumrah came on to bowl in the fourth over, the Gujarat Titans had already scored 27 runs without loss. In the next match, Sunrisers Hyderabad had raced to 40 runs without loss before Bumrah was brought in to slow down their scoring. Even the pundits, not just the fans, have expressed disappointment with the tactics of the new Mumbai Indians captain. Sunrisers Hyderabad had reached 173/3 from 45/0 before Bumrah was reintroduced. Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody expressed his doubts, saying, "Where is Jasprit Bumrah?? The game is almost over and your best bowler has only bowled one over!" Moody wasn't the only one with concerns. As it turned out, even Bumrah couldn't contain Sunrisers Hyderabad as they scored a record 277 runs on a batting-friendly pitch in Hyderabad. Bumrah ended up with figures of 0/36, while the rest of the Mumbai Indians bowlers conceded between 11.5 and 17 runs per over.
It's time for Mumbai Indians to consider using Bumrah more aggressively. The decision may have been the captain's, but in today's game, there is often guidance from the analysts' table. Let's examine the data from the past five IPL editions in which Bumrah has played (2018-22 & 24) to see if it supports the limited use of Bumrah in the powerplay.
There is some validity to the argument, but a significant factor is the weakened state of Mumbai Indians' bowling attack. And that's not the only approach.
By any measure, Bumrah is the best fast bowler in the shortest format of the game. He effectively restricts the flow of runs (economy rate of 7.71) and consistently takes wickets (strike rate of 12.1), especially in the death overs. Saving two of his overs for the later stages of the innings is a tactically sound decision, as no one else does it better.
This results in the captain having just two overs of Bumrah remaining. During a broadcast, former pacer Brett Lee expressed the belief that the best fast bowler should bowl the first over. While this may hold true in theory, it is not always feasible. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bumrah has only bowled the first over on four occasions out of 75 matches.
Mumbai Indians (MI) did not need to preserve Bumrah for the middle overs because they had Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya to fulfil that role. However, after releasing Chahar and Pandya before the previous mega auction, Mumbai has struggled to find spinners who are equally effective. Piyush Chawla provided a satisfactory performance last season when Bumrah was absent, but there are doubts about his consistency this year. Left-arm wrist spinner Kumar Kartikeya has not been entrusted with significant responsibility.
Furthermore, MI is facing challenges with their fast bowling options as Hardik Pandya and young Gerald Coetzee are returning from injuries. To address these gaps and take advantage of the two-bouncer rule, MI seems to have made a calculated decision to save one of Bumrah's overs for the middle overs. However, this strategy has not been successful thus far.
Bumrah may not be the best at taking wickets during the powerplay (strike rate of 29.1), as players like Daniel Sams, Trent Boult, Mitch McCleneghan, Hardik, Krunal Pandya, and James Pattinson have achieved better rates for MI. Nevertheless, Bumrah is a terrific fast bowler who only concedes an average of 6.4 runs per over, even with two fielders stationed at the boundary. Not every T20 match requires extravagant swing or miraculous deliveries during the powerplay; constraining the opposition's scoring rate is another effective means of shifting momentum and creating opportunities at the other end.
Heinrich Klaasen, who punished MI in the previous match, implied that MI made a mistake by not utilising their best bowler during the powerplay. According to Klaasen, this played into their strategy as their strong batsmen set the pace, making their job easier.
During Bumrah's early years with MI, he had the support of Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson. Later on, Trent Boult joined the team. However, MI's current bowling attack lacks a similar level of effectiveness, placing a heavy burden on Bumrah.
In T20Is, India employs Bumrah as a more aggressive force, with a significant portion of his overs (43.7%) occurring during the powerplay and only occasionally (18.6%) in the middle overs. In contrast, the national team has a variety of spin bowlers to choose from, including Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and more recently, Ravi Bishnoi. For MI, Bumrah bowls fewer overs in the first six (33.2%) and comparatively more in the middle overs (24.3%). However, this may need to change soon. It could be time for MI to capitalise on Akash Madhwal's promising performance from the previous season and consider having Hardik take up the new-ball duties with Bumrah.