'Jasprit Bumrah makes them look better than they are': R Ashwin downplays Rohit, Hardik's role as captains

Former India National Cricket Team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin showered rich praise on the Mumbai Indians (MI) star speedster Jasprit Bumrah.

Ashwin said that the impact of the right-arm quick is such that he makes the captains he is playing under look way better than they actually are.

Jasprit Bumrah in top form in IPL 2025

Mumbai Indians (MI) missed the services of the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the first few matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as he was recovering from his injury.

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However, once he returned to the setup, the Mumbai Indians (MI) produced a stunning turnaround and became a dominant force in the ongoing season of IPL.

He showcased his magic with the ball and helped the Mumbai Indians register amazing victories. Bumrah also shone in the all-important Eliminator of IPL 2025 against Gujarat Titans at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, and helped Mumbai Indians defend the total.

In a match where over 400 runs were scored, he conceded just 27 runs by taking a crucial wicket of Washington Sundar in his four overs. Jasprit Bumrah broke the 84-run stand between Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar by dismissing the latter with a deadly 143 kmph yorker.

Overall, Bumrah is the sixth leading wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League 2025 as he has bagged 18 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 15.33, an economy of 6.36, and a strike rate of 14.44.

Bumrah is a cheat code in today's T20 cricket - Ravichandran Ashwin

Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’ after the IPL 2025 Eliminator, Ravichandran Ashwin labeled Bumrah as the 'cheat code' and said that the pacer makes his captain look better. He elaborated:

"This game could have gone even closer if Jasprit Bumrah's over didn't happen. The asking rate was like 12, 13, 14 but he gave like 7 or 8 runs in his last two overs. Rahul Tewatia hit him for a six but still, the way he came back and gave one run in the next two balls, that defines Bumrah. I had tweeted during the T20 World Cup that Bumrah is a cheat code in today's T20 cricket. Have you ever played this road rash, NFS game? It's a cheat code.

"If you play these games, you can enter a code, and you can run faster. You can beat everyone else. It's a cheat code. In today's world, as a captain, sometimes I feel Jasprit Bumrah makes a captain look better than they actually are. The way he nails those yorkers, changes up his slower balls, all that said and done, I think Mumbai also went to yorkers very early," he added

What he has done to the community of bowling in India is another topic altogether - Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin further said that making comparisons between Jasprit Bumrah, Wasim Akram, and Malcolm Marshall is not the right thing to do, as they are cricketers from different generations.

Ashwin added that he is extremely delighted with the success that Bumrah is having in his career and what he has done for the community of bowling in Indian cricket. He elaborated:

"I have never seen Malcolm Marshall's bowling. But, I have heard a lot about him. I have seen Wasim Akram's bowling. He has given nightmares to the Indian team. But, this comparison across generations is a very wrong thing to do. In today's world, in Indian cricket, in the landscape in which we consider batsmen to be great people, I am so, so happy.

"I am talking in my own language because everyone sees this. Otherwise, I would have been a little more free-flowing. I am so, so, so happy for Jasprit Bumrah. Jasprit Bumrah has definitely given phillip for Indian fast bowlers to run in a long way and bowl with smartness, with solid execution. Jasprit Bumrah, the bowler, has won. But, what he has done to the community of bowling in India, especially fast bowling, is another topic altogether."

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