Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 18-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in IPL 2026 also brought the spotlight back on Jasprit Bumrah’s rare wicketless run, with India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stepping in to defend the star pacer.boomra He ran out of ground once again as MI conceded 240/4 and then fell short at 222/5 despite a brilliant unbeaten 71 from Sherfane Rutherford. It marked another frustrating outing for the MI spearhead, whose struggles have now spread across two IPL seasons.
In fact, Bumrah’s last five IPL bowling figures underline the rare drought. He returned 0/40 (4) against PBKS in Ahmedabad, 0/35 (4) against KKR in Wankhede, 0/21 (4) against DC in Delhi, 0/32 (3) against RR in Guwahati and 0/35 (4) against RCB in Wankhede. In total, he has now taken 122 wicketless balls, the longest wicketless streak of his IPL career.However, Ravichandran Ashwin rejected criticism of Bumrah and emphasized that focusing solely on wickets does not reflect his real impact on the game. As for X, he warned that these types of narratives can be misleading for teams.“The narrative of lack of wickets for Bumrah can hamper the team’s cause. Him catching yorkers and strangling the opposition in every run is even more important than chasing wickets, especially at places like Wankhede,” Ashwin said.
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He further explained the tactical reality of T20 bowling and added, “When you can’t bowl on the trot, your ability to take wicket depends on your teammates handing over control to you. We have had so many years of T20 cricket now, and bowling in partnerships as a defensive group remains a seed in the minds of the bowling units,” Ashwin added.In the context of the match, RCB’s batting power proved decisive once again: Phil Salt (78), Virat Kohli (50) and Rajat Patidar (53 off 20), propelling them to 240/4 before their bowlers held their nerve in the final overs despite Rutherford’s late attack.Ashwin’s comments added a broader perspective to Bumrah’s performance, highlighting that his control and economy in high-scoring conditions remain as valuable as wickets, even as MI continue to struggle in their recent run of matches.