‘He’s astonishing’ - Former England cricketer hails 'outlier' Jasprit Bumrah

Published - 10 Mar 2026, 21:26 IST | Updated - 10 Mar 2026, 21:29 IST

India beat New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad to script history. There were several valuable contributions from the players but nothing more valuable than India’s spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

It was yet another memorable T20 World Cup campaign by India’s premier pacer with the ball, picking up 14 wickets, the joint-most, at an otherworldly economy of 6.21. He was named Player of the Tournament during India’s 2024 World Cup victory.

After his heroics in India’s successful title defence, Bumrah has received admiration from former English batter Mark Butcher has praised him for his stunning bowling performance.

“He’s an absolutely outlier in world cricket at the moment, and maybe forever. People love doing the comparison thing of great bowlers from different eras, but nearly all of those guys didn’t have to contend with scoring rates as they are meant to be in T20 cricket, and therefore, it’s impossible to say whether or not they would have been or could have been as good as he is. He is absolutely outstanding,” Butcher was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

“He’s an astonishing defensive bowler. His numbers over the course of his T20I career, he goes at six and a half an over in this era – in the era where everyone’s complaining that the batters are basically making the game a joke.”

The English left-hander also highlighted the current Indian team’s biggest strength and what makes them invincible. While doing this, he also took aim at Pakistan’s milestone obsessed culture.

“In T20 cricket, one individual cannot win you tournaments. It always takes the whole team to step up in different moments. There’s quite a stark contrast there in the way that their neighbours from the north-west in Pakistan are still stuck in the idea of personal milestones and individual superstars,” he concluded.

By successfully defending their T20 World Cup title, the Men in Blue made several records, becoming the first ever team to win the tournament thrice. They also became the first team to defend the title, while also becoming the first to win the Cup as hosts.