Former India veteran Sunil Gavaskar believes Jasprit Bumrah needs to simplify his approach to rediscover his rhythm, following another underwhelming outing in the Mumbai Indians’ six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026.

 

Bumrah, widely regarded as one of the finest T20 bowlers, has endured a rare dip in form this season, struggling to make an impact even as MI chase momentum in the closing stages of the league.

Gavaskar pointed out that the issue is not a lack of effort but an attempt to do too much with the ball. “Bumrah is giving his best, but he seems to be trying too many extra things. He took a wicket after the strategic timeout, but it was a no-ball. Then he bowled a few more no-balls. He is creating wicket-taking chances, but luck is not on his side,” he told JioStar.

Highlighting technical aspects of his bowling, Gavaskar added, “His pace has also dropped. His go-to slower ball length has become fuller. The line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to leg stump. He is not known for bowling many no-balls, but this season he has already bowled six or seven.”

According to Gavaskar, Bumrah’s experimentation has disrupted his natural rhythm, making him less effective in key phases. “He is overdoing things, and that’s hurting him. He should go back to his basics and stick to what works best for him. Trying new things is affecting his rhythm and luck isn’t helping either,” he said.

Despite the struggles, the former India captain backed Bumrah to bounce back quickly once he regains confidence, saying, “It will take just one or two games. Once he starts picking up wickets, he will be back on track. But Bumrah needs to keep it simple and stop overcomplicating his bowling.”

Meanwhile, Gavaskar also reflected on LSG’s inability to defend a strong total despite a powerful batting display as he said, “228 is a big total, no doubt about it. LSG’s batting, which has struggled all season, finally clicked against MI. They were at 155 after 11 overs and looked on track for 250-plus, but Mumbai’s bowlers pulled things back.”

He added that LSG’s bowling and selection decisions ultimately cost them the game. “But LSG’s bowling let them down. Their bowling has been a strength this season, but not in this game. Mohammed Shami, their lead bowler, had an off day. I believe Digvesh Rathi should have played instead of M Siddharth. Leaving him out was a big mistake. He has a good record against MI’s batters, but he sat on the bench while Mumbai’s batters took the game away,” Gavaskar noted.

With LSG’s playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Gavaskar urged stability in their approach going forward, mentioning, “LSG’s playoff hopes are fading, but they can still finish the season strongly. To do that, they must stop changing their lineup every game.”