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Since making his Indian Premier League debut in 2013, Bumrah has played 133 matches for Mumbai Indians and accounted for the dismissal of 165 batters.
Zaheer Khan picks Jasprit Bumrah as best fast bowler in IPL history. (Picture Credit: PTI)
Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan has ignored the likes of Lasith Malinga, Dwayne Bravo and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to pick 31-year-old Indian star Jasprit Bumrah as the best fast bowler in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Bumrah, who was retained for Rs 18 crore by Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2025 mega auctions, has picked up 165 wickets in 133 IPL matches played so far for the Mumbai-based franchise since making his debut in the 2013 season.
In the list of fast bowlers with the most wickets in IPL, Bravo (183), Bhuvneshwar (181) and Malinga (170) are ahead of Bumrah, but according to Zaheer, Bumrah is the best.
Zaheer, who featured for MI, Delhi Capitals and RCB in the IPL during his playing days, made the selection during a Cricbuzz show.
Unlike Bumrah, the other three have also won the Purple Cap award at least once in their IPL careers, but Bumrah’s impact on MI’s performances over the years makes him one of the best players of all time to feature in the IPL.
The 31-year-old fast bowler from Ahmedabad, who made his IPL debut in 2013 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and picked Virat Kohli as his first wicket, is one of the four bowlers to take two five-wicket hauls in IPL, and his economy rate is 7.30.
Bumrah is the highest-paid Mumbai Indians player in IPL history and is one of the three players to win five IPL titles with the Ambani-owned franchise.
The right-arm pacer is all set to lead Mumbai Indians bowling in the 2025 edition of the cash-rich league, which is set to start on March 22. MI will open its campaign on March 23 against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and then take on Gujarat Titans in the next match at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 29.
Bumrah, who is out of action these days due to a lower back injury, is expected to miss the first few matches for the franchise due to fitness-related issues. In his absence, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar will lead the fast bowling attack and will have Hardik Pandya for support.