Ravi Shastri Compares Jasprit Bumrah With Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah, comparing the fast bowler’s exceptional control with the ball to legendary cricketers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shane Warne. Shastri’s remarks came after Bumrah’s standout performance in India’s victorious campaign at the T20 World Cup 2024.

Bumrah finished as the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 15 wickets from eight innings at an average of 8.46 and an economy of 4.17. Shastri was in awe of Bumrah’s ability to make the ball dance to his tunes, saying, “He just showed the world what it takes and you know, it’s not often in your career when you have a ball in your hand and you say, do this and the ball does that.”

Drawing parallels with the greats, Shastri stated, “Very few have done it, I thought Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis had it in their prime when they played white-ball cricket. Shane Warne had it where he could literally tell the ball, go there, pitch there, hit leg stump. People who are on top of the game have that ability. I think Bumrah had that in this World Cup.”

Shastri’s praise for Bumrah’s control and accuracy was not limited to the T20 World Cup. He recalled a compliment from legendary West Indies pacer Andy Roberts during India’s tour of the Caribbean in 2019, when Roberts told Bumrah that he was good enough to be a part of the legendary West Indies pace quartet, which included Roberts himself, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Colin Croft.