Bumrah made outstanding comeback after injury. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Pune:
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who dismissed Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka in third and final T20 series against Sri Lanka in Pune, became India's highest wicket-taker in the T20 Internationals.
He bagged 53 T20I wickets in 45 mathes. Wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who has 52 wickets from 37 matches and ace off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also 52 wickets from 46 matches jointly share second spot on the list.
Bumrah, who has not played any competitive cricket ever since being laid low by a stress fracture to his back after the tour of the West Indies, made outstanding comeback with classy performance- 1/32 in the second T20 in Indore, which the hosts had won by seven wickets. The Gujarat pacer returned with figures of 1-5 in two overs in the third and final game.
Closely monitored by team’s support headed by Ravi Shastri, Bumrah hit the straps straightway, bowling with pace in the T20I series. Bumrah was seen mixing up his deliveries as there were yorkers, variety of bouncers, bowling in tandem with Shardul Thakur and Shivam Dube.
Also Read: Fit-Again Jasprit Bumrah Shows His Wares At Nets
The World T20 will be played in Australia in 2020 after a gap of four years. It is the time when teams will be playing majority of Twenty20 Internationals in order to gear up for the marquee tournament in October. India will be playing a total of 15 Twenty20 Internationals under the tournament. The good news for team India is ace pacer Bumrah got his rhythm. His return will be a welcome boost to the Indian pace bowling stock that has been rotated effectively in the last couple of months. Jasprit Bumrah started off from where he had left before being laid low by stress fracture.
From three Tests in 2019, Bumrah picked 14 wickets at an average of 13.14 including two five-wicket hauls—both against the West Indies in North Sound and Kingston, becoming the only Asian bowler in history to bag five-fours in South Africa, England, Australia and West Indies. He also had 25 wickets in 14 ODIs during the year.
At the Sabina Park, Bumrah became only the third Indian bowler after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan to record a hat-trick in the longest format.
