Since returning from a long-term back injury against Ireland in August 2023, Jasprit Bumrah has been in top form across all formats. He was instrumental in India’s Asia Cup 2023 triumph and scalped 20 wickets in 11 matches at the 2023 ODI World Cup. Dismissing 19 batters in four Tests versus England earlier this year, Bumrah is currently in the second spot in the IPL 2024 Purple Cap standings. In Mumbai Indians’ last match against RCB, he snared five wickets for just 21 runs. With his lethal bowling, Bumrah constantly threatens batters regardless of the game situation.
During a recent interaction with England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler, star New Zealand pacer Trent Boult named 34-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the greatest new-ball bowler of all time across formats. In doing so, Boult overlooked many past and present greats, including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
Even Bumrah considers Bhuvneshwar the most outstanding new ball bowler ever. Boult has experienced Bhuvneshwar’s skills while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Bumrah at Mumbai Indians. The New Zealand left-arm pacer has once won the IPL championship with both teams.
“Which new ball bowler is the best across all cricket formats? Buttler asked Boult during the Royals rapid-fire round, saying, “I want to hand the shiny cherry (new ball) to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar debuted for the Indian cricket team against Pakistan in a T20I match in Bengaluru on December 25, 2012. He took three wickets for just nine runs in his four overs in his debut. He also picked up a wicket with the first ball he bowled in ODI cricket.
In the past 12 years, Kumar has represented India in 21 Tests, 121 ODIs, and 87 T20Is, taking 63, 141, and 90 wickets, respectively. He has also scored three half-centuries in Tests and 1 in ODIs. In the IPL, the Meerut-born pacer played for RCB and Pune Warriors before joining SRH in 2014. With 173 wickets in 165 matches, he is the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. Kumar has won the Purple Cap twice in the IPL and remains a formidable bowler.