Former Mumbai Indians campaigner Harbhajan Singh has thrown his weight behind Jasprit Bumrah after a season that has not mirrored the pacer\u2019s usual impact. With just three wickets across 11 matches and an economy rate of 8.51, Harbhajan suggested that Bumrah\u2019s current figures are not the sort of numbers fans have come to associate with the India speedster. The ex-India spinner also pointed to a bigger concern for Mumbai Indians: the franchise\u2019s over-reliance on Bumrah, at a time when other bowlers are struggling to consistently deliver.<\/p>\n
Mumbai Indians were knocked out on Sunday following a defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur. Harbhajan acknowledged that the MI bowlers had a late glimpse of control during the RCB chase, and that Bumrah handled the finishing overs well. Still, he felt the rest of the bowling unit did not match the required intensity for long spells, which ultimately shaped the result.<\/p>\n
Speaking on JioStar\u2019s show \u2018TATA IPL: Out or Not Out\u2019, Harbhajan said Bumrah has the ability to swing a game from any moment, but Mumbai Indians cannot afford to depend on him alone. He specifically raised concerns about the confidence levels of other options in the XI, naming Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya as examples of players who appear low on belief at present.<\/p>\n
Harbhajan also singled out spin as a weak link, suggesting the side lacks quality local spin resources. In his view, there was once more depth among Indian spinners, but that benchmark is not being met in the current squad, leaving a major gap in the team\u2019s composition.<\/p>\n
Harbhajan\u2019s comments came with context from his own history with the franchise. He played for Mumbai Indians in their most dominant years and won three IPL titles with them between 2013 and 2017. In 2018, he also tasted success with Chennai Super Kings. Drawing on those memories, he compared the team\u2019s mindset and body language back then with what he is seeing now.<\/p>\n
Harbhajan said the body language and overall attitude of Mumbai Indians is something he has never witnessed like this before, noting that he has been associated with the team for nearly a decade. He contrasted the current phase with even the tough periods of the past\u2014such as a season when MI lost five matches in a row\u2014arguing that even in defeat, the will to fight back remained visible.<\/p>\n
Finally, Harbhajan argued that the squad needs a clear signal from within. In his view, someone must step up as a leader and communicate the message that what has happened belongs to the past, and that the way forward will depend on how the team reacts during matches\u2014starting with one person taking responsibility to drive the group forward.<\/p>\n
Former Mumbai Indians campaigner Harbhajan Singh has thrown his weight behind Jasprit Bumrah after a season that has not mirrored the pacer\u2019s usual impact. With…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Harbhajan Backs Bumrah as IPL 2024 Scrutiny Grows","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Harbhajan Singh backs Jasprit Bumrah amid IPL 2024 scrutiny, criticising Mumbai\u2019s other bowlers after a quiet season of wickets and economy.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n