It wasn’t just a clever turn of phrase. It wasn’t even a courteous gesture in a room full of seasoned journalists who have seen the best and worst of the sport. There were no words, just a wide-eyed, wide-mouthed exclamation: “Holy s**t!” Bridgetown, Barbados, the fertile cricketing ground that gifted the world legends like Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, Clyde Walcott, Garfield Sobers, and countless other greats, was simply running out of superlatives as Jasprit Bumrah, in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa on Saturday, did what Bumrah does best: dominate.
There’s an aura of invincibility surrounding Bumrah. When Heinrich Klaasen was taking Axar Patel to the cleaners in the 15th over, smashing 24 runs and threatening to dismantle India’s defense of 176, Axar attempted to avoid Klaasen’s hitting zone by bowling two wide balls. Bumrah, stationed at deep fine leg, sensing Axar’s strategy, casually walked back to his fielding position with a knowing smile, as if he could see the future unfold. At that moment, South Africa needed 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets remaining, and whispers of doubt about Bumrah’s late re-entry into the attack began to circulate. Yet, in the 16th over, he stepped up, conceding just four runs. “The 16th over was a run-a-ball, and we were under pressure. But the ball was scuffed, and I knew I could get reverse swing. I’m just glad I kept calm and executed it,” remarked the unflappable Bumrah after the match.
He then returned for the 18th over, his final contribution to the tournament. Six balls were all he needed to do what he does best – make the opposition sweat. Klaasen was gone, but David Miller remained, supported by Marco Jansen, a formidable batsman himself. Bumrah not only clean bowled Jansen with a perfect inswinger, but he also conceded only two runs, ending the final with impressive figures of 2 for 18. He finished the tournament with 15 wickets, a scarcely believable economy rate of 4.17, and an average of less than 8.26. His performance was rightly recognized with the Player of the Tournament award.
Before the match began, Bumrah shared a brief moment with his wife, Sanjana Ganesan, the TV sports presenter. The couple embraced, and as Bumrah walked towards his teammates, he smiled and gave a thumbs up, as if to say, “I got this.” Bumrah had a vision. Bumrah has India’s back. Always.
