Mumbai Indians’ decision to hold back their star bowler Jasprit Bumrah proved costly as Sunrisers Hyderabad amassed a record-breaking total of 277 for 3 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match.
Bumrah, widely regarded as the world’s best bowler in the T20 format, bowled just one over in the first ten overs of the innings. By the time he returned for his second spell, Sunrisers had already raced to 177 for 3, with Heinrich Klaasen batting on eight off three balls.
Former Australia allrounder and Sunrisers head coach Tom Moody criticized Mumbai’s strategy, calling it “extraordinary.” He emphasized that Bumrah should have bowled two overs in the powerplay, as his wicket-taking ability is crucial in restricting the opposition’s scoring.
“When you’ve got the best bowler in the world in this format… for him to only bowl one over in the first ten overs… is extraordinary,” Moody said. “By then, the game’s gone.”
Mumbai’s reluctance to use Bumrah early on was likely due to their concern about Klaasen’s big-hitting ability. However, Klaasen admitted that the runs scored by Sunrisers’ top order gave him the freedom to face Bumrah without pressure.
“They didn’t bowl their best bowler in the powerplay… that was our plan,” Klaasen said. “They missed a trick up front. We’ve got incredible strikers up front in our batting line-up. They just set the tempo so our work was basically done.”
Moody believes that Mumbai should have been more flexible with their plans and reassessed their strategy after the first six overs, when Sunrisers had already scored 81 runs. He suggested that Bumrah should have been brought back for two overs immediately to try and stem the flow of runs.
“Every chance that Klaasen may not have batted today the way Sunrisers were going at the top,” Moody said. “Could Mumbai not have changed their plans midway, especially with two strategic time-outs to reassess?”
Mumbai’s decision to hold back Bumrah ultimately backfired, as Sunrisers posted the highest score in IPL history and secured a comfortable victory.
