Jasprit Bumrah once again proved himself under pressure, playing a key role in Mumbai Indians‘ 20-run victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 Eliminator. He was brilliant with the ball. With the Titans looking set to pull off an incredible chase in Mullanpur, it was Bumrah’s crucial spell that halted their momentum.

At 151/2 after 13.3 overs, chasing down a challenging target of 229, Gujarat seemed on course. But Bumrah turned the game in Mumbai’s favour when he bowled a yorker to dismiss Washington Sundar, who had raced to 48 off just 24 balls with a strike rate of 200. From that point, Gujarat’s innings lost its momentum, and they eventually ended up with 208/6.

“Bumrah did what he always does. If he hadn’t taken Washington’s wicket, especially with him batting at a strike rate of 200, the match could have been a lot closer. I remember hearing how Shane Warne was once haunted by dreams of facing Sachin Tendulkar, and now, it’s likely that batters are having nightmares of Bumrah,” Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.

Bumrah’s figures of 1/27 from four overs, including just eight runs in his last over, show his control. However, the impact of his performance went beyond the numbers, with his key wicket of Sundar disrupting a dangerous partnership and leaving Gujarat scrambling for answers.

“MI’s current success has Bumrah written all over it. Since his return from injury, their performance has improved. It’s undeniable. When Bumrah’s in the team, their bowling becomes solid and the captain’s job gets much easier,” he added.

Captain Hardik Pandya shared a similar view after the match: “Whenever the game seems to be slipping away, you just hand him the ball.”

With 18 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 6.36, Bumrah remains Mumbai’s most crucial asset as they gear up for Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad.