'There will never be anyone like him' - Irfan Pathan lauds India star following T20 World Cup 2026 final

Jasprit Bumrah was the Player of the Tournament when India won the T20 World Cup in 2024. In the 2026 edition of the marquee event, the right-arm seamer had another stellar campaign and was conferred the Player of the Match award in the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

Former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan said that there will never be anyone who can step into Bumrah's boots. He was particularly impressed by the 32-year-old's economy rate during the tournament, which hovered around six runs per over.

“The most important one is Jasprit Bumrah. There will never be anyone like him, no one who can take his place. He is a very special player. He finished with 14 wickets, equal with Varun Chakaravarthy. But where is his economy rate? His economy rate is around six or even less in a World Cup where your team scores around 250 runs, and you bring the opposition to their knees. That is the kind of bowler Jasprit Bumrah is," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Pathan pointed out that Bumrah used a lot of slower deliveries against the Kiwi batters in the final, but they still failed to pick them up.

“Even today, if you looked at his first three overs, it was very clear that out of the first 18 balls, 14 were slower deliveries. Just imagine that. Is there any other bowler who can bowl 14 slower balls out of 18 deliveries and still not get hit by the batter? It is almost impossible. But that is Bumrah’s ability. The batter knows that he keeps using the slower one again and again, yet it is still very hard to attack him," Pathan noted.

 I have never seen a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah: Pathan

Pathan said that he has never seen a bowler as skilful as Bumrah, especially in white-ball cricket. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Indian fans should enjoy watching his bowling and feel proud that he represents the Men in Blue.

“In my opinion, I have never seen a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah. I played professional cricket for more than 20 years, and in my life I have never seen such a bowler, especially in white-ball formats. His skill is extraordinary, and that has to be acknowledged.

“He is the GOAT. He is the greatest of all time when it comes to white-ball cricket for India. For India, he is undoubtedly the greatest. There is no doubt about it because he does not do difficult things just once, he does them again and again, especially in big matches. He took four wickets here, and because Jasprit Bumrah is in the team, the Indian cricket team walks with pride across the world. As long as he is around, everyone should enjoy watching his bowling and consider themselves fortunate that India has a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah,” he added.