Jasprit Bumrah’s blistering pace for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders may not have earned the five-time IPL champions a win on Monday night, but the five-wicket haul would have made selectors aware of the 28-year-old cricketer’s importance as India seeks to salvage their pride and much more in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Bumrah showed everyone how good he is in the IPL on Monday, though his performance came a little late in the day because the Mumbai Indians are out of contention for the title this year. The pace bowler had 5/10 from four overs for the Mumbai Indians in their loss to KKR, and he now has 10 wickets for the tournament.
His figures were the second best in an IPL losing side in history, trailing only Australia spinner Adam Zampa’s 6/19 for Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016. If Bumrah maintains his current form, he could lead India to victory at the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
In the run-up to the mega event, the India selectors will be keeping a close eye on opener KL Rahul. The Lucknow Super Giants captain has scored 451 runs in IPL 2022, the most by any Indian player this season.
However, Shikhar Dhawan (381) of the Punjab Kings is not far behind and must still have hopes of making the trip to Australia for the T20 World Cup later this year.
A few other batters vying for the trip have also impressed, with Hardik Pandya (333 runs for Gujarat Titans) and Shreyas Iyer (336 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders) both ranking in the top ten for most runs at the tournament.
Veterans Virat Kohli (216 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Rohit Sharma (200 runs for Mumbai Indians) have been underperforming, while Rishabh Pant (281 runs for Delhi Capitals) has looked good at times.
Yuzvendra Chahal leads the tournament with 22 wickets, with left-armer Kuldeep Yadav (18 wickets for Delhi Capitals at 19.55) and experienced seamer T. Natarajan (17 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad at 17.82) close behind.
Most of these players should make the cut for the ICC T20 World Cup based on current form, but with the tournament still six months away and injuries and form being a part of the game, the selectors may prefer to wait and see rather than pass judgement based on IPL performances.
(Inputs from IANS)