Mumbai, May 10: Jasprit Bumrah’s breakneck pace for the Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders might not have gotten the five-time IPL champions victory on Monday night, but the five-wicket haul would have made the selectors realize The importance of the 28-year-old cricketer as India aims to save his pride and much more at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Bumrah reminded everyone on Monday how good he is in the IPL, although his performance came a bit late as the Mumbai Indians are out of contention for this year’s title. The pace bowler had excellent figures of 5/10 in four overs for the Mumbai Indians during their loss to KKR and the right winger now has 10 wickets for the tournament.
His figures were the second-best on a losing side in IPL history, just behind the 6/19 Australia Adam Zampa managed for Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016. If Bumrah can continue that kind of form, then he could boost India to glory. at the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
The other player India’s selectors would be watching closely in the run-up to the mega event is starter KL Rahul. The Lucknow Super Giants captain has amassed 451 runs in the IPL 2022 so far, the most of any Indian player in the IPL this season.
However, Punjab Kings player Shikhar Dhawan (381) is not far behind and has yet to entertain any aspirations of traveling to Australia for the T20 World Cup later this year.
A handful of other batsmen struggling to make the trip have also impressed, with Hardik Pandya (333 runs for Gujarat Titans) and Shreyas Iyer (336 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders) also inside the top 10 for most runs in the tournament.
Veterans Virat Kohli (216 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Rohit Sharma (200 runs for Mumbai Indians) have performed below their high standards, while Rishabh Pant (281 runs for Delhi Capitals) has looked good at times.
Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal remains the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 22 scalps, with left setter Kuldeep Yadav (18 wickets for Delhi Capitals at 19.55) and experienced closer T. Natarajan (17 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad at 17:82) not far behind.
Based on current form, most of these players should qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup, but with the tournament some six months away, and injuries and form an integral part of the game, selectors may prefer to wait. . and watch instead of making a judgment based on IPL performances.