Mumbai (Maharashtra): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Mohammed Siraj bowed down in front of his compatriot and Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his exceptional spell against the former's side in match number 25 of the ongoing 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at iconic Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.
Bumrah claimed his second five-wicket haul of his IPL career and conceded only 21 runs off his four overs where almost every bowler leaked runs at an economy of 10+ runs per over. He picked wickets each time when MI skipper Hardik Pandya brought him into the attack and he delivered with ease. With this five-for, Bumrah has become the new purple cap holder as he equalled the number of wickets with Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's tally, but the former (5.95) has a better economy rate than the latter (7.33).
After the match when players were shaking hands and congratulating Mumbai players, RCB's pace spearhead Siraj bowed down and hugged Bumrah tightly appreciating his brilliant effort in the match.
Siraj, who hasn't been in good form, leaked 37 runs in 3 overs without picking a single wicket. Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma and his opening partner Ishan Kishan smashed him for 23 runs in his over including a six from the former and a couple of sixes along with a boundary from the latter.
Bumrah picked a five-wicket haul in the match and while reflecting on his prolific spell, he stated that preparation is always the key and
Speaking about his incredible spell, Bumrah, who was adjudged the Player of the Match for his sensational bowling, said, "I will never say I wanted to take a five-for. The wicket was sticky and I am very happy with the contribution. In this format, it is very harsh for the bowlers. I try to not be a one-trick pony, I have worked on this early in my career. People start to line you up. I want to have different skills."
"Bowling is tough because you will have to take a beating. When things have not worked out for me the next day I have seen the videos and analyzed what did not work. Preparation is always the key. Important to keep pushing yourself before a game. It is not a one-trick pony. You don't always have to bowl a yorker, sometimes you bowl a yorker, sometimes a short ball. There is no ego in this format. You can bowl at 145 (kmph), but sometimes it is important to bowl slower balls," Bumrah added.
On Thursday, Bumrah seemed to implement his skill set quite well as he used a variation of lengths to take five wickets. He dismissed Mahipal Lomror with a yorker while unleashed a bouncer against Vijaykumar Vyshyak to dismiss him. He also became the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul against RCB in IPL history. With his dazzling spell, he also became the highest wicket-taker against RCB in the Indian Premier League.
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