Kamal Ghorui
Jasprit Bumrah finally picked up his first wicket of IPL 2026 after going wicketless for six consecutive matches, and following Mumbai Indians’ emphatic win over Gujarat Titans, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said explained that why Bumrah got dip in his form despite good spells in first two matches. Mumbai Indians put up a dominant all-round performance to defeat Gujarat Titans convincingly. After being reduced to 44/3 in the powerplay, MI recovered through a crucial partnership between Naman Dhir (45) and Tilak Verma. Tilak then produced an unbeaten 101* off 45 balls, powering MI to a strong total of 199/5.
For GT, Kagiso Rabada (3/33) was the standout bowler, while Mohammed Siraj remained economical.In response, Gujarat Titans never got going and were bowled out for just 100 in 15.5 overs. Ashwani starred with a career-best 4/24, while Allah Ghazanfar and Mitchell Santner chipped in with two wickets each, sealing a comprehensive win for MI.While a scintillating century from Tilak Verma under pressure and a four-wicket haul from Ashwani Kumar were the show-stealing performances which revived MI’s hopes for any progress in the tournament, perhaps the biggest positive was Bumrah breaking his wicketless streak in the IPL dating back to last year’s playoffs, marking his biggest spree without any wickets in the IPL.Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah’s recent performances, suggesting that external narratives around his lack of wickets may have affected the star pacer’s rhythm.Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin noted that while Bumrah bowled well in the initial matches, the pressure of not picking up wickets and the team’s losses may have impacted his confidence.“I still think Bumrah bowled really well in the first two matches, but then the team started losing. Then the narrative also started that Bumrah was not getting wickets. That was probably playing on his mind. He got a wicket, and that was bound to happen. In the last two games, he is not the Bumrah that I have seen, but chances are that we will see the best of him ahead,” Ashwin said.Ashwin also pointed out that Bumrah appeared slightly off his usual standards in the matches against Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he conceded runs and looked uncharacteristically frustrated.
Hardik Pandya backed to regain form
Ashwin also backed Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya to rediscover his batting form, especially after the team’s recent win. He highlighted that Hardik has yet to produce a defining innings this season, but believes that one impactful knock could change everything for both the player and the team.“Remember that Hardik Pandya is yet to open up with the bat. He will also start opening up with the bat. It is just a matter of one innings. If he gets a good hit in one innings, it will be very difficult to stop this team. If this team starts firing, it will become very difficult to stop them. Hardik was not getting the win as captain, and there was pressure on him, and that pressure comes into your batting as well. With this win, chances are high that Hardik Pandya will find his mojo with the bat,” he said.So far this season, Hardik has crossed the 20-run mark only once in five innings. He has scored 96 runs at an average of 24.00 and a strike rate of over 143, with a highest score of 40.
