Jasprit Bumrah (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah, known for giving batsmen a tough time, hitting the stumps and annoying them with toe-crushing, did not have the best of seasons with the ball in the 2026 Indian Premier League as he managed to take just four wickets in the tournament.However, former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn backed Bumrah despite his disappointing season and said the Indian speedster will come back strong next year and can even win the Purple Cup.
Steyn also reminded critics that Bumrah played a crucial role in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup win just two months ago.“He won the World Cup just a month and a half ago and was probably one of the players of the tournament.
So you can’t focus on it in the first place. He had a bad tournament (IPL). There have been good batsmen in this IPL who have not hit the ground running. Okay. “It shows he’s human,” Stein said on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel.“He will come back strong and next season he will probably win the Purple Cap next season,” Steyn said.Bumrah also missed Mumbai Indians’ last league match, which the five-time champions lost by 30 runs.Mumbai Indians finished their IPL 2026 campaign at ninth position on the points table. They have only four wins and ten defeats in 14 matches.Bumrah has also been rested for India’s upcoming home match against the Afghanistan national cricket team, with the team management aiming to ensure he returns to full fitness ahead of the demanding international calendar later this year.
Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026
Matches: 14Wins: 4Losses: 10Points: 8Net Run Rate: -0.584Final place: 9th (excluded)
| opposition | date | a result |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata Knight Riders | March 29 | Won by 6 wickets |
| delhi capitals | April 04 | Lost by 6 wickets |
| Rajasthan Royals | 07 April | He lost by 27 points |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | April 12 | He lost by 18 points |
| Kings of Punjab | April 16 | Lost by 7 wickets |
| Gujarat Titans | April 20 | He won by 99 points |
| Chennai Super Kings | April 23 | He lost by 103 runs |
| sunrise hyderabad | April 29 | Lost by 6 wickets |
| Chennai Super Kings | May 02 | Lost by 8 wickets |
| Lucknow Super Giants | May 04 | Won by 6 wickets |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | May 10 | Lost by 2 wickets |
| Kings of Punjab | May 14 | Won by 6 wickets |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | May 20 | Lost by 4 wickets |
| Rajasthan Royals | May 24 | He lost by 30 points |
How do you think Bumrah will fare overall in IPL 2026?