"We have won this World Cup because of him" - Irfan Pathan lauds Jasprit Bumrah's performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup
Irfan Pathan has lauded Jasprit Bumrah for being primarily responsible for India's win in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He claimed that the unconventional pacer is the greatest white-ball bowler in the Men in Blue's cricket history.
Bumrah delivered a spell of 2/18 in four overs in India's seven-run win in the final against South Africa in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. The right-arm seamer picked up 15 wickets at a sensational economy rate of 4.17 in eight games in the tournament.
Speaking on Star Sports, Pathan noted that Bumrah hasn't been given as much credit as he deserves.
"We have not talked about Jasprit Bumrah as much as we should have because if you take out Jasprit Bumrah from this Indian team, we wouldn't have been able to win the World Cup. He is so important, he is so crucial. He made the most impactful performance in this World Cup. We have won this World Cup because of him," he elaborated.
The former India all-rounder placed the Gujarat bowler on a high pedestal.
"We are lucky to witness a guy like Jasprit Bumrah who is so special, who is ready to bowl in different situations, who is so calm and composed, who brings a special ability on the field for Team India. He is the greatest white-ball bowler we have ever produced as far as Indian cricket is concerned. He can actually win you games from nowhere," Pathan said.
With 89 scalps at an outstanding economy rate of 6.27 in 69 innings, Bumrah is India's third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. Only Yuzvendra Chahal (96 wickets at an economy rate of 8.19 in 79 innings) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (90 scalps at an economy rate of 6.96 in 86 innings) have accounted for more dismissals than him.
"We missed out on his services in the last T20 World Cup and we know that it cost us" - Irfan Pathan on Jasprit Bumrah
Irfan Pathan pointed out that Rohit Sharma and company felt Jasprit Bumrah's absence in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
"Him being there in this World Cup, we were supposed to win the World Cup because we missed out on his services in the last T20 World Cup and we know that it cost us. Him not being there makes our bowling very weak. He is literally half of the bowling unit himself," he observed.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Bumrah is extremely reliable in every phase of a T20 game.
"He is 50 percent of our bowling because you can use him with the new ball, you can use him in the middle overs when you need wickets. You can definitely believe in him like the Reserve Bank of India because you know that he is safe. He will come and bowl with an economy of four in the World Cup. No Indian bowler has bowled as many overs with that kind of economy in World Cup history," Pathan stated.
Bumrah's economy rate of 4.17 is the best for any bowler who has bowled at least 15 overs in a T20 World Cup edition. He also has an exceptional career economy rate of 5.44 in T20 World Cups while picking up 26 wickets in 18 games.