Jasprit Bumrah surpasses Lasith Malinga, rewrites T20 World Cup history

NEW DELHI: Indian spearhead Jasprit Bumrah etched his name deeper into cricketing history on Sunday, delivering a spell for the ages to propel India to their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title.

Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!

At a roaring Narendra Modi Stadium, Bumrah dismantled New Zealand’s chase with a devastating four-wicket strike, becoming the first fast bowler to take a four-fer in a T20 World Cup knockout match. His figures of 4/15 not only broke new ground in the history of the tournament but also helped India achieve a thumping 96-run victory in the final.

This milestone also saw Bumrah overtake Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga to become the most successful pacer in T20 World Cup history. Bumrah now has 40 wickets in just 26 matches, surpassing Malinga’s tally of 38 wickets in 31 matches. Only a handful of spinners, including Shakib Al Hasan, who leads the charts with 50 scalps, are above him in the overall rankings.

129317886

Advertisement

Pacers with most wickets in T20 World Cup

• 40 – Jasprit Bumrah (ER: 5.66)

• 38 – Lasith Malinga (ER: 7.43

• 38 – Anrich Nortje (RE: 5.71)

• 36 – Arshdeep Singh (ER: 7.79)

• 36 – Tim Southee (RE: 6.99)

The final itself turned into a showcase of India’s dominance. Batting after New Zealand elected to field, India accumulated a massive 255/5 – the highest ever total in a T20 World Cup final. A total of 52 off 21 balls from Abhishek Sharma set the tone before a spectacular innings from Sanju Samson (89) fixed the attack. Samson forged some crucial partnerships, including a century stand with Ishan Kishan, who smashed 54 off 25 deliveries. Shivam Dube’s late fireworks saw India cross the 250-run mark with ease.

Four irons in T20 World Cup round of 16

• 4/12 – Ajantha Mendis vs WI, Colombo RPS, Final 2012

• 4/15 – Jasprit Bumrah vs New Zealand, Ahmedabad, Final 2026

• 04/26 – Shadab Khan vs AUS, Dubai, 2021 SF

Chasing an imposing 256, New Zealand never recovered after Bumrah and Axar Patel struck early. Patel grabbed three wickets while Bumrah ran through the middle order as the Kiwis collapsed to 72/5. A fighting 52 from Tim Seifert briefly revived hopes, but the chase quickly collapsed under relentless pressure.

New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 159, handing India a historic triumph.

For Bumrah, the tournament capped another extraordinary campaign. He finished as the highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps, matching Varun Chakravarthy, and once again underlined why he remains one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket.