IPL 2026: ‘No one’s better than him with the new ball’ - Hardik Pandya praises Jasprit Bumrah’s impactful first over

Jasprit Bumrah finally made his mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with a statement performance against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 20 at Narendra Modi Stadium. After going wicketless in his first five matches, Bumrah struck immediately, dismissing Sai Sudharsan with the very first ball of the innings.

He finished with impressive figures of 1/15 in three overs, playing a key role in Mumbai Indians (MI) successfully defending a total of 199. MI captain Hardik Pandya was later asked about Bumrah’s impact, especially taking a wicket with his very first delivery, an early breakthrough that set the tone for the match and underlined Bumrah’s value even after a quiet start to the season.

"Yeah, it's quite fascinating. I've seen a lot of people ask why Jasprit has never bowled the first over. But if you see, it's been 151 appearances and I think eight or nine times Jasprit has bowled the first over. So I don't think it's a Hardik Pandya problem. It's just that Jasprit Bumrah is so special that you use him wherever it's required for the team, not necessarily at the start. But today, we realised that we really wanted to make an impact with the new ball, and no one's better than him," Pandya said as quoted by NDTV Sports.

MI put together a complete performance to end their losing streak in style. The innings was built around a sensational maiden IPL century from Tilak Varma, whose 101 off just 45 balls not only anchored the total but also matched the franchise record for the fastest hundred. After early setbacks from the openers, Naman Dhir provided crucial support with a steady 45, ensuring the momentum never dipped. Pandya expressed clear satisfaction after the match, especially with how the team responded under pressure.

"Very important. It's always challenging to go away and win. Also, Ahmedabad has not been a happy hunting ground for Mumbai Indians, so it's very satisfying. It was about bowling in the right areas and with the right intent. Really amazing effort by the youngsters, and then the fielding had to click as well," Pandya concluded.

MI climbed to seventh place on the IPL 2026 points table, now holding four points from six matches. Their next challenge is a high-stakes clash against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 23 at Wankhede Stadium.