T20 World Cup: Can Jasprit Bumrah achieve this huge milestone in Zimbabwe game?

Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah stands on the brink of a major milestone, needing just three more wickets to become the eighth Indian to reach 500 international wickets.

In the must-win T20 World Cup match against Zimbabwe at Chennai, ‘Jassi Bhai’, as he is known lovingly, could prove to be a game-changer for Team India with his four over quota.

Bumrah’s 24 balls could go a long way in deciding India’s future in this tournament after the Men in Blue ran into trouble with a 76-run loss to South Africa in their Super 8 stage opener, which pushed their net run rate into the negative.

So far in 232 matches for India, Bumrah has taken 497 wickets at an average of 20.56, with best figures of 6/19, alongside 13 four-wicket hauls and 18 five-wicket hauls.

In this tournament, the pacer has been unforgiving against batters, allowing them very little space to breathe or free their arms.

Can Jasprit Bumrah’s red-hot T20 World Cup form continue against Zimbabwe?

In four matches, he has taken seven wickets at an average of 9.85 and an economy rate of just 5.30, a remarkable statistic in a batsman-dominated format.

His best spell came in the last game against South Africa, where he returned figures of 3/15 in four overs.

With that spell, the 2024 T20 World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’ also became India’s top wicket-taker in the tournament’s history with 33 scalps.

While India would be hoping for South Africa to defeat West Indies in the first match of Thursday’s double header, the focus will equally be on India’s own performance when they take the field, with hopes that Bumrah’s yorkers hit the blockhole consistently, dismantle stumps and light up the speedgun.

Ahead of the crucial Super 8s fixture, former India captain Anil Kumble cautioned the side against underestimating Zimbabwe and stressed the need to stick to their natural and aggressive brand of cricket.

Why has Anil Kumble warned Suryakumar Yadav-led India to respect Zimbabwe?

Sharing his views on JioHotstar, Kumble said India must continue to play their natural and aggressive brand of cricket, but remain mindful of the challenge Zimbabwe poses.

Kumble pointed to Zimbabwe’s recent group-stage wins in the T20 World Cup, including a victory over Australia and a successful chase of 179 against co-hosts Sri Lanka, as signs of their growing confidence in high-pressure situations.

He also highlighted the influence of pacers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, whose ability to extract bounce and movement with the new ball has troubled opposition top orders.

"They have delivered some strong performances. They beat Australia. They chased down 179 against Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil. They have convincingly beaten Australia. Their top four batters have been in excellent form. Their tall fast bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, have been outstanding with the ball, especially in the Powerplay," Kumble added.

Kumble further warned that the Suryakumar Yadav-led team must be at the top of their game in a tournament where every moment counts.

"India cannot take them lightly. They need to be at the top of their game. Any individual who gets going must make it count. You cannot assume the next batter will do the job. In the T20 World Cup, there are no ifs and buts. You have to go out and deliver as an individual. So yes, you hope for the right result, but India must focus on doing what they need to do," Kumble added.

(With inputs from ANI)