What’s Really Going Wrong With Jasprit Bumrah in IPL 2026?
Jasprit Bumrah’s start to IPL 2026 has been shocking by his standards, with 0 wickets in 5 matches and 164 runs conceded at an economy rate of around 8.63. For a bowler known for early wickets and deadly yorkers, this sudden dry spell has raised many questions about what has changed this season.
So far in IPL 2026, Bumrah has bowled 19 overs, given away 164 runs and has not taken a single wicket. His economy rate of around 8.20–8.63 looks decent on paper in such a high‑scoring league, but it does not show his usual impact as a strike bowler who breaks big partnerships.
His recent numbers show how strange this phase is:
- 114 balls (19 overs) in IPL 2026 without a wicket.
- 21 boundaries conceded – 16 fours and 5 sixes – in these five games.
- Last five IPL spells across 2025 and 2026: 0/40 vs PBKS (Ahmedabad), 0/35 vs KKR (Wankhede), 0/21 vs DC (Delhi), 0/32 vs RR (Guwahati), 0/35 vs RCB (Wankhede).
Even in this phase, he has gone over 10 runs per over in only a couple of games, which shows that his control is still there, but the wickets are missing.
Overuse of Slower Balls
One of the biggest reasons experts are pointing out is Bumrah’s heavy use of slower balls this season. Analysis shared by former India all‑rounder Irfan Pathan shows that Bumrah has been using slower balls in about 44 percent of his deliveries in IPL 2026 – almost every second ball.
Because of this, his average speed has dropped to around 130 kmph, which is clearly lower than his usual pace in T20s. With so many slower balls, batters know that a change of pace is coming very often, so they get more time to adjust and are not surprised as much as before.
Pathan’s reading of the data is that Bumrah should not stop using slower balls, but he should bring the percentage down to around 30–35 percent and increase his fast‑ball count again. If he does that, slower balls will again look like surprise weapons instead of something batters are waiting for every other delivery.
Drop in Average Pace
The high percentage of slower balls is directly linked to another issue – a clear drop in average pace. Reports say that his mean speed this season is around 130 kmph, whereas in earlier IPL seasons he often bowled in the mid‑130s or more when he pushed himself.
In modern T20 cricket, even a small drop in pace can make a big difference, especially for someone like Bumrah who depends on the ball skidding off the pitch and moving late to beat the bat. When his regular delivery is slower and he is using it less often, batters get that extra split second to play him, which cuts down his chances of getting bowled or caught behind in the powerplay and at the death.
Experts also point out that if a bowler uses too many slower balls, the gap between his quickest and slowest deliveries becomes smaller, and that reduces the surprise factor that usually helps him.
How Batters Are Playing Him Now
Another big reason behind Bumrah’s wicketless stretch is the way teams are planning against him. Many batters are now treating his overs as “attacking” overs, where they mainly look to get more runs, especially in the powerplay and at the death.
Because of this approach, there are few risky shots against him, however, there are zero to very less edges, mishits and lbw or bowled chances. He often builds pressure and gives only 6–8 runs in an over, but the wickets still do not come, while bowlers at the other end get targeted badly.
For some bowlers, this role of only controlling runs is fine, but Bumrah has always been used by Mumbai Indians as a main strike bowler, so a long run without wickets feels much more worrying in his case.
Role of Pitches and Venues
Conditions have also played a part in how Bumrah’s spells have looked this season. He has bowled at grounds like Wankhede and Guwahati, where the pitches are very good for batting, the bounce is true and the boundaries are not very big.
At such venues, even a small error in length or line can easily go to the boundary, which puts extra pressure on bowlers. In these conditions, yorkers and sharp bouncers are very important, but they need full rhythm and confidence to land correctly again and again.
If a bowler is trying many slower balls and still searching for his best pace, the margin for error becomes even smaller, and batters can punish any slightly off‑target ball very quickly.
Tactical Confusion and Over‑Adjustment
Some experts feel that Bumrah might be caught between two styles – attacking for wickets and defending runs – and that has created some tactical confusion. In one of the early games this season, young left‑hander Vaibhav Sooryavanshi attacked him from the very first ball, and after that Bumrah shifted to slower balls quite early in his spell.
This showed that batters are willing to take him on, but it also suggested that he may be changing his plans too quickly instead of sticking to his strengths like high‑pace hard length and yorkers. When a bowler of his level starts overthinking, he might end up overusing variations instead of trusting his best deliveries.
As a result, instead of keeping batters guessing, the mix of too many slower balls and fewer outright fast balls is helping set batters settle in and pick him off when he misses his mark.
How Unusual Is This Phase?
To understand how strange this run is, it helps to look at Bumrah’s overall IPL record. He has 130 wickets in 106 IPL matches at an economy rate of about 7.4, which makes him one of the most reliable fast bowlers in the league’s history. Over the years he has been key both in the powerplay and in the death overs for Mumbai Indians.
He has had short wicketless patches before, including a four‑match run without a wicket back in IPL 2014, but he has never had a stretch as long as this current one across seasons. Data from CricViz shows that he has now bowled 122 balls in the IPL without taking a wicket, which is the longest wicketless streak of his career in the tournament.
This suggests that it is a rare phase rather than a clear sign of long‑term decline, especially since his control over runs has not totally disappeared.
What Other Experts Are Saying
While Irfan Pathan has focused a lot on the heavy use of slower balls and the drop in average speed, other voices have tried to put things in context. Ravichandran Ashwin has highlighted that Bumrah is still doing the tough overs with tight yorkers and is often the most economical bowler for his team even when others are going for plenty.
Some reports also point out that luck has not been on his side in this period – a few close chances have gone down or missed the stumps by small margins, which in T20 cricket can change how a spell looks on the scorecard. In a format of such fine margins, two or three missed chances can easily turn a good spell without wickets into a “bad” one on paper.
Main Reasons Behind Bumrah’s Struggle in IPL 2026
Putting all these points together, the key reasons for Jasprit Bumrah’s poor wicket return this IPL season are:
- Very high share of slower balls (around 44 percent), which has made his bowling more predictable and reduced the surprise factor.
- Drop in average pace to about 130 kmph, which has reduced the skid and sharpness that used to trouble batters.
- More defensive approach from batters, who are happy to play him out and attack other bowlers instead.
- Flat, batting‑friendly tracks at grounds like Wankhede and Guwahati, where even small errors are punished.
- Tactical over‑experimentation, as he searches for wickets and leans too much on variations instead of backing his best high‑pace lengths and yorkers.
Overall, the evidence from this IPL season and expert analysis suggests that Bumrah’s issue is more about strategy and usage of his skills than any major problem with his basic bowling. A slight shift back towards higher pace, fewer slower balls and a clearer attacking plan could help him turn this rare wicketless run around.
