Adam Gilchrist places Jasprit Bumrah in 'Don Bradman category' of players, says 'we are watching greatness'

Adam Gilchrist places Jasprit Bumrah in 'Don Bradman category' of players (AP Photo)

The return of Jasprit Bumrah has certainly helped Mumbai Indians' (MI) cause in their bid to a record sixth Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The premium pacer has bowled a total of 28 overs in his seven IPL 2025 appearances so far. In the 28 overs, 69 have been dots - averaging almost 10 dot balls per match, which is more than any bowler with an economy of less than 8.

The only bowlers this season with a higher dot ball percentage than Bumrah are Josh Hazlewood and Khaleel Ahmed, but they have leaked over eight runs per over while the Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer boasts of an incredible 6.96 economy rate.

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MI have jumped to the top of the points table after winning six of their last seven matches since Bumrah's return. The pacer had missed the first four because of a back injury, which he sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. The first two games saw Bumrah failing to click. He was struck for 44 against the Delhi Capitals and went wicketless for 29 runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, it didn't take long for him to settle and has scalped six wickets while conceding just 37 in the last two matches against Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals.

Ex-Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist referred Bumrah as the bowling counterpart of the great Don Bradman, highlighting his overall influence in every format of the game. "He's maybe the best fast bowler of all time. When you start stacking up the statistics and the varying conditions that he has to go out and execute those skills in, I guess you look at Sir Donald Bradman's numbers compared to his peers and he's just so far ahead.

"So I think Bumrah is sort of in that category across all the different variations that you get in conditions and pitches that you've got to bowl on. He's significantly further ahead than the peers around him, so that tells you we are truly watching greatness," Gilchrist said on Cricbuzz.

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Bradman is the only cricket player to have a Test average close to 100 before retiring. Bradman stands out from the others since no other batter with over 10 Tests averages higher than 65. In every format, Bumrah is rapidly separating himself from his contemporaries, according to Gilchrist.

Earlier this year, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah caused trouble for Australia. Despite India's 1-3 series loss, Bumrah's skill with the ball kept the Australians constantly on their toes. "A seamer from India, consistently throughout, particularly the series that we just saw in the summer, back home in the Australian summer, no, I don't think so," Gilchrist responded to a question about if Australians were as scared and intimidated by an Indian bowler as they were by Bumrah.

After taking 32 wickets at an average of 13, Bumrah emerged as the series' top wicket-taker. "We just sat and watched in awe at close range commentating on that series and again, I know it's a different format, but he is the best all-format bowler; that's nothing to argue there," the former wicketkeeper-batter said.