5 players you didn't know were Jasprit Bumrah's teammates in the IPL ft. Michael Hussey
Former Australian batter Michael Hussey recently recalled his time with Jasprit Bumrah during their stint with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Hussey praised Bumrah's ability to unsettle the batters with his unusual action and pace.
Hussey also mentioned his advice to the then-rookie pacer, who gave a fiery send-off to AB de Villiers during his debut season in IPL 2014. The 49-year-old suggested Bumrah to make statements with his bowling performances and avoid send-offs.
“He burst onto the scene in the IPL and bowled brilliantly. I remember one game where he got AB de Villiers out. Obviously, AB is one of the greatest, and Bumrah gave him a big send-off. AB wasn’t happy," Hussey recalled on the Willow Talk podcast.
“I told him, ‘Mate, you don’t need to do that. You have so much skill and talent. Just getting the wicket is the biggest statement you can make. If you want respect in the game and from your peers, you don’t need send-offs," he added.
Jasprit Bumrah has gone on to become one of MI's greats, bagging 168 wickets in 136 appearances. He stands second on the list of highest wicket-takers for the franchise, trailing behind Lasith Malinga who has 195 scalps.
Like Michael Hussey, there have been notable cricketers, who have been teammates of Bumrah in the IPL. Today, let's take a look at a few of them whose names went under the radar.
#1 Martin Guptill
New Zealand top-order batter Martin Guptill was initially unsold in the IPL 2016 auction. However, he was called in as an injury replacement for Lendl Simmons by the Mumbai Indians.
Guptill featured in three games and garnered 57 runs, with a top knock of 48 against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah bagged 15 wickets in 14 appearances at an economy of 7.80 in the same season.
The franchise failed to reach the playoffs after winning seven out of 14 games.
#2 Michael Hussey
Aussie legend Michael Hussey made his debut with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2008. He was a part of the franchise during their title victories in 2010 and 2011 as well. However, he was released by CSK after the 2013 season.
As a result, MI secured the services of Hussey for the 2014 edition, which turned out to be the first full-blown season for Bumrah. The southpaw accumulated 209 runs in nine innings, with two fifties. On the other hand, the right-arm pacer managed to pick up five wickets in 11 appearances.
The defending champions managed to reach the playoffs before losing to CSK in the Eliminator. Interestingly, Hussey returned to play for the Chennai-based franchise for his last season in 2015.
#3 Dinesh Karthik
Former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik joined the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2012 and played for them until the 2013 season. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah was signed as an uncapped player by MI ahead of the 2013 season.
Karthik played a key role in helping MI secure their maiden title victory in 2013, slamming 510 runs in 19 appearances.
In his debut IPL game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bumrah finished with figures of 3/32, while also taking the wicket of Virat Kohli. He ended the season with three wickets in two games.
#4 Yuzvendra Chahal
The leading wicket-taker in IPL history, Yuzvendra Chahal began his career in the cash-rich league with Mumbai Indians. He was signed up by the franchise in 2011 and managed to make his debut only in 2013.
Chahal managed to play only a solitary game against the Kolkata Knight Riders and conceded 34 runs off the four overs. As mentioned above, Bumrah appeared in two games for the franchise this season.
With 205 wickets in 160 games, Chahal is the most successful bowler in the tournament. He will represent the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 season.
#5 Nicholas Pooran
West Indian batter Nicholas Pooran made his T20I debut in 2016. He was then bought by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2017 auction. However, Pooran didn't get to play any of the games throughout the season.
Meanwhile, Bumrah was the standout bowler for Mumbai with 20 wickets, as they went on to lift their third IPL title in 2017.
Pooran finally made his IPL debut for the Punjab Kings in the 2019 season. The southpaw was retained by the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.