Asia Cup 2025: Jasprit Bumrah’s run in Powerplay
By Parth Dhall | Sep 27, 2025 | 03:57 PM
**What’s the story?**
India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has explained the rationale behind using Jasprit Bumrah mainly in the Powerplay during the 2025 T20 Asia Cup. This strategy, which has drawn criticism from some quarters, sees Bumrah bowling more in the initial overs than his usual middle and death overs. The change was recently questioned by several experts, including former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif.
Here’s how Bumrah has fared in the Powerplay this Asia Cup.
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### Strategy Explained: Why Bumrah Is Bowling in the Powerplay
Speaking after the India-Sri Lanka match, Morkel revealed that the team management believes the Powerplay is the best phase for Bumrah to produce early breakthroughs.
He said,
“Look, it’s obviously a tough job to bowl in the Powerplay, but Jasprit is one of the best bowlers. And with the new ball, obviously we’re looking to take a wicket.”
Morkel further added that this approach makes life easier later in the innings and aligns with their strategy of using spin bowlers after the Powerplay overs.
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### Performance in the Powerplay: Three Wickets So Far
Bumrah, known for his death-over prowess in T20Is, usually bowls two of his overs in the back end of innings. However, during this Asia Cup, the right-arm pacer has consistently bowled three overs in the Powerplay across his four appearances.
So far, Bumrah has taken three wickets in this phase – one each against UAE, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
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### Wicket-Taking Focus: The Golden Rule in T20 Cricket
Morkel emphasized the importance of taking wickets in the shortest format, calling it the “golden rule.”
He stated,
“We know the number one rule or the golden rule in T20 cricket is to take wickets, and if we can do that by using one of our best bowlers up front, that’s a big advantage.”
He also mentioned that this strategy is flexible and subject to change based on daily assessments.
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### Stats and Information: Bumrah’s Asia Cup 2025 Performance
As per ESPNcricinfo, Bumrah has taken five wickets from four matches in the Asia Cup 2025 at an average of 22.00. However, his economy rate of 7.33 is slightly higher than his usual standards.
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### Did You Know? Bumrah’s Death-Over Excellence
Bumrah’s exploits in the death overs of T20I cricket remain impressive. According to ESPNcricinfo, he has taken 43 wickets in this phase alone while bowling 217 dot balls.
His economy rate in the last four overs stands at an excellent 6.86.
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**In summary,** the innovative strategy of using Bumrah primarily in the Powerplay is designed to capitalize on his ability to take early wickets, providing an edge to the Indian bowling attack in the Asia Cup 2025.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/morkel-reveals-why-jasprit-bumrah-is-being-used-in-powerplay/story
