‘Like having a genie’: Cricket world hails Jasprit Bumrah after India’s semifinal win

India’s thrilling seven-run win over England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday saw Jasprit Bumrah once again prove why he is regarded as one of the best bowlers in world cricket. The Indian pacer’s crucial spell in the death overs helped India defend a massive total and seal their place in the final.

Bumrah finished with figures of 1/33 in his four overs in a match where nearly 500 runs were scored across both innings. With the wicket of England captain Harry Brook, he also became the eighth Indian bowler to reach the milestone of 500 international wickets.

Advertisement

Chasing 254, England looked well on course thanks to a brilliant century from Jacob Bethell. However, the match turned in India’s favour when Bumrah delivered a superb 18th over, conceding just six runs when England needed 45 from the final three overs. Hardik Pandya followed it up with a tight penultimate over, giving away just nine runs and dismissing Sam Curran, as India eventually secured a narrow victory.

Following the match, several former and current cricketers showered praise on Bumrah for his ability to perform under pressure.

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis compared having Bumrah in a team to possessing a superpower.

“Team India don’t understand how lucky they are to have him in their ranks. Regardless of the format, you just give him the ball and he wins you games. It’s a superpower any captain will dream of; it’s like having a genie—you rub the lamp and out comes Bumrah,” du Plessis said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show.

Du Plessis also highlighted Bumrah’s unique bowling action and variations, noting that even when the pacer slightly misses his length, batters still struggle to capitalise.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also praised Bumrah, calling him a once-in-a-generation bowler with the ability to deliver in high-pressure moments.

“We are lucky that a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah plays for India. India has never had a bowler like him before. Perhaps the world has rarely seen a bowler like him. He has everything – yorkers, slower balls, outswing, inswing and bouncers – and he knows exactly how to bowl under pressure,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

India all-rounder Axar Patel echoed similar sentiments, describing Bumrah’s performance as the reason he is often referred to as the “Yorker King.”

“We knew the last two overs from Jasprit Bumrah would be crucial. On this wicket, the margin for error was very small. The way he delivered those yorkers under pressure shows why he is called the ‘Yorker King’. He knows exactly how to take the team out of difficult situations,” Axar said on JioHotstar.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh also lauded Bumrah for his composure in the high-scoring encounter, crediting him and Hardik Pandya for guiding India through the tense finish.

“India played fantastic cricket at Wankhede. The match got very close even after India scoring over 250 runs. But the way Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya bowled, they showed a lot of maturity and got the team through to the finals,” Harbhajan said.

Sanju Samson powers India to massive total

Earlier, Sanju Samson led India’s batting effort with a blistering 89 off 42 balls. Valuable contributions from Shivam Dube (43), Ishan Kishan (39), Hardik Pandya (27) and Tilak Varma (21) helped India post a formidable 253/7 in 20 overs.

Despite being reduced to 95/4, England mounted a strong comeback through Bethell’s 105 off 48 balls and a quickfire cameo from Jofra Archer. However, India’s bowlers held their nerve in the closing overs to restrict England to 246/7.

India will now face New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8.