Bumrah Brilliance Sinks Gujarat Titans

Published on May 31, 2025

Unplayable Yorker, Inevitable Genius: How Jasprit Bumrah Sank the Gujarat Titans

Jasprit Bumrah delivered yet another masterclass in the IPL 2025 Eliminator, stamping his authority with a delivery so lethal, it felt predestined. It wasn’t just a yorker—it was a surgical strike that shattered Gujarat Titans’ momentum and with it, their hopes. If you’ve watched Bumrah long enough, you know this wasn’t luck or a one-off. This was simply inevitable.

Wasn’t that yorker special? We’ll get to that. But first, let’s take a step back.

Can Excellence Feel Routine?

Can greatness feel this… predictable? Ask any artist, athlete, or creator, and they’ll tell you: brilliance doesn’t come easy. It’s a grind, a rare payoff after endless hours of toil. And yet, some athletes make it look effortless.

Michael Phelps slicing through the pool like Poseidon’s chosen one. Usain Bolt turning 100-meter sprints into exhibitions. Simone Biles redefining what’s humanly possible. Mondo Duplantis pole-vaulting into the stratosphere. And then there’s Jasprit Bumrah—cricket’s answer to inevitability.

He’s not flashy, he doesn’t roar. But every time he has the ball in hand, there’s a shift in gravity. With each spell, Bumrah reminds us: his genius isn’t occasional. It’s expected.

The Stage Was Set

Friday’s IPL 2025 Eliminator at Mullanpur was more than just a knockout clash—it was a theatre of high drama and individual brilliance. Mumbai Indians, ever the big-stage giants, won the toss and chose to bat. Just a day earlier, at the same venue, Punjab Kings had been skittled for a meagre 101. But Hardik Pandya, leading MI, believed the surface would play better.

And it did.

Rohit Sharma rolled back the years with a majestic 50-ball 81. Jonny Bairstow added some English firepower. Suryakumar Yadav chipped in, and Hardik himself played a handy cameo. The result: a towering total of 228.

Gujarat Titans weren’t ready to give up. Despite losing captain Shubman Gill for just 1, the young duo of Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar launched a fierce counterattack. Their 84-run partnership off just 44 balls swung the momentum, and by the end of the 13th over, Gujarat were cruising at 148 for 2.

Mumbai needed something special.

Enter Bumrah

When the game was slipping, Hardik Pandya didn’t need to think twice. He tossed the ball to his trump card, his ultimate cheat code. Jasprit Bumrah returned for his second spell—and everything changed.

Suddenly, the boundaries dried up. Singles became a struggle. The scoreboard, once sprinting, now crawled.

And then, the yorker came.

Fourth ball of the 14th over. Bumrah, from over the wicket, angled in a searing delivery at 140 kph. It curled in late, aiming for Washington Sundar’s toes. The left-hander was caught in a web—legs splayed, bat nowhere near the ball. The stumps were obliterated.

Sundar dropped to the ground—awkward, disoriented, defeated.

“Even if he’d held his ground, it would’ve crushed his toe,” said Robin Uthappa in commentary. “It was pure survival mode. For that fraction of a second, he forgot it was a match and just wanted to protect himself.”

Can you blame him?

That delivery didn’t just get a wicket—it changed the game. It sent a ripple through Gujarat’s dugout. Their 42% win probability started collapsing with every passing ball.

Sai Sudharsan followed soon after, walking back for a brilliant 80. With him went Gujarat’s belief.

Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, and Rahul Tewatia swung hard—but the rhythm was lost. Bumrah came back again for the 17th over, with Gujarat needing 45 off 18. He conceded just nine, killing the chase and all remaining hope.

The Bumrah Effect

AB de Villiers said it best: “I told my son before Bumrah’s last two overs: ‘Watch this. The game isn’t over until he’s done.’”

By the end of Bumrah’s spell, Gujarat’s win probability had dipped by 20 percent. Stats and models might still try to calculate outcomes. But with Bumrah, sometimes the math doesn’t matter. What matters is the feeling. And when Bumrah has the ball, it feels like the game is his to command.

Mumbai’s Cheat Code

Bumrah’s numbers this season are mind-boggling. In 11 games, he’s taken 18 wickets at an economy of 6.36—in a season dominated by batting. Only twice has he conceded more than 30 runs. In his first game, fresh off a long injury layoff, he went for 29 in 4 overs against RCB, who scored 229. Since then, he’s been nearly unhittable.

Even his mishits and full tosses are respected. Opposition teams now plan their innings around him: attack 16 overs, survive 4.

Captain Hardik Pandya knows the formula. So did Rohit Sharma before him. Whenever the pressure mounts, there’s only one man they turn to.

And he always delivers.

What Makes Him Special?

West Indies legend Ian Bishop once offered a brilliant insight into Bumrah’s genius.

“He’s a thinker. A communicator. Yes, he’s got pace—but more importantly, he knows when to use it. Some days it’s the yorker. Others, it’s the wide yorker. Or the slower ball. Or the sharp bouncer,” Bishop said.

“He’s got that unique action—and with that, the ball hurries on quicker than expected. Even full tosses become hard to hit. And then there’s his reputation. With Curtly Ambrose, I’d see batters play him with respect and come after me. Bumrah has that aura now.”

Bumrah’s versatility is unmatched. Flat decks. Green tops. Dusty Indian wickets. Red ball. White ball. T20s. ODIs. Tests. It doesn’t matter. He’s relentless, adaptable, and unerringly precise.

Bumrah Isn’t a Bowler. He’s an Event.

When Bumrah runs in, the crowd holds its breath. The batters tighten their grips. And every outcome feels heightened.

He’s not just another pacer. He’s a phenomenon.

He takes the most thankless job in T20 cricket—bowling at the death—and turns it into theatre. Pressure doesn’t rattle him; it fuels him. He’s the final boss in a video game. The unsolvable riddle. The firewall between hope and defeat.

In a game where batters dominate, where 230 has become a par score, Bumrah is the ultimate equalizer.