Jasprit Bumrah holds key to unlocking India’s T20 World Cup fortune

Subsequently, he was ruled out of the marquee event and all other cricket for nearly the next 12 months. Much of the chatter when the Indian players landed in Australia as a result revolved around how they would cope with Bumrah’s absence in a format where bowlers are ripe for shredding. The semi-final in Adelaide was proof that India’s bowling attack couldn’t adequately paper over the cracks as England chased down 169 in 16 overs without losing a wicket.

Cut to now as India face Ireland in their opening T20 World Cup game in New York on Wednesday, and so little of the build-up has seemed to centre around Bumrah. Not for any reason other than a comforting degree of predictability existing about Bumrah’s brilliance. Since returning to action in a T20I series against Ireland in August last year, Bumrah has been routinely exceptional across formats that you can almost take the pacer turning up and delivering for granted.

Even in this year’s IPL, a season where T20 batting was redefined substantially with big scores and bigger sixes, Bumrah was a bowling cheat code all through — he was the only player in any of the ten franchises to finish the tournament with an economy below 6.5. He also got 20 wickets in 13 matches, outgunning batters even when they were taking minimal risk. It’s another matter that MI still found a way to mess up and finish bottom of the standings.