T20 WC: Jasprit Bumrah three wickets shy of 500 international wickets

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 26 (ANI): Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is just three wickets away from becoming the eighth Indian with 500 international wickets.

In the must-win T20 World Cup match against Zimbabwe at Chennai, 'Jassi Bhai', as he is known lovingly, could be a game-changer for Team India with his four over quota. Bumrah's 24 balls could go a long way in deciding India's future in this tournament after the Men in Blue ran into trouble with a 76-run loss to South Africa in Super Eight stage opener, sending their net-run-rate in minus.

So far in 232 matches for India, Bumrah has taken 497 wickets at an average of 20.56, with best figures of 6/19, 13 four-wicket hauls and 18 five-wicket hauls.

In this tournament so far, Bumrah has been unforgiving against batters, giving them a very little space to breathe and let loose their arms. In four matches, he has seven wickets at an average of 9.85 and an economy rate of just 5.30, a mind-boggling stat in a batsman-dominated format. His best spell came last game against South Africa, taking 3/15 in four overs. With this spell, the 2024 T20 World Cup 'Player of the Tournament' also become India's top wicket-taker in the tournament's history, with 33 scalps.

While India would be praying for South Africa to crush West Indies in the first match of this Thursday double header, the prayers would be just as louder and the fingers would stay crossed when India would be on the field, hoping that every yorker bowled by Bumrah lands right into the blockhole and makes a mess out of batter's stumps and his deliveries light up the speedgun.

Squads:

India Squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Abhishek Shama, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson

Zimbabwe Squad: Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza(c), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Ben Curran, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza. (ANI).

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