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SPORTS MAY 31, 2024 | The Indian Eye 52

IPL 2024

How India’s pace battery fared:

Bumrah at top while Siraj and Avesh

deliver solid 2nd-half performance

The first half of Bumrah’s campaign is some of the best fast bowling he has ever

done, taking 13 wickets in seven matches at an average of just 12.84

OUR BUREAU could finally have a reliable partner
for Bumrah, given Siraj keeps up his
Mumbai
performance.
s the Indian Premier League Arshdeep, the third pacer in the
(IPL) 2024 nears its con- main squad, is the third-highest wick-
Aclusion, the focus is shifting et-taker, with 19 scalps in 14 innings
towards the ICC T20 World Cup at an average of 26.57, a strike rate of
starting from June 1 onwards in 15.89 and an economy rate of 10.03.
West Indies and USA, where the His best bowling figures are 4/29. His
Indian bowlers will be put to test in first and second-half figures are not
spin-friendly conditions in the Carib- very different. Arshdeep has been
bean and largely unexplored crick- a consistent wicket-taker but tends
eting territory of USA, which could to go for runs, an area needing im-
spring up some surprises for Men in provement.
Blue. Coming to the pace-bowling
all-rounder Hardik Pandya, he had
Ahead of the competition, it is a disappointing IPL 2024, picking
up 11 wickets, but at an average of
important to look deep into the 35.18, the strike rate of 19.64 and an

form of the Indian pace attack. economy rate of 10.75. His second
half was much better, taking seven
In the absence of an injured Mumbai Indians’ Jasprit Bumrah celebrates a wicket during a match against wickets at an average of 22.85, strike
Mohammed Shami, the pace Kolkata Knight Riders (ANI) rate of 14.57 and an economy rate
of 9.40.
line-up will be carried largely He sits at the second spot in the match-winning performances. In the reserves options, India

by the shoulders of an experi- wicket-taking charts, with 20 wickets Siraj, often criticized for being has a left-armer, Khaleel, who has
at an average of 16.80 and a strike erratic and inconsistent with his fig- made a comeback to the Indian
enced Jasprit Bumrah, who has rate of 15.55. His best bowling fig- ures, has taken 15 wickets at an av- team after 2019. In 14 matches, he
time and again reminded the ures are 5/21. With Mumbai Indians erage of 33.06, an economy rate of took 17 wickets at an average of
(MI) out of the tournament, he has 9.18 and a strike rate of 21.60. His 28.17, a strike rate of 17.64 and an
world how lethal he could be no matches left to add to his tally. best bowling figures are 3/43. The economy rate of 9.64. His best bowl-
The first half of Bumrah’s cam-
and is a match-winner by him- paign is some of the best fast bowling pacers’ first half of the season was ing figures are 2/21.
bad, as he took just five wickets at a
Avesh, who made a switch to
self. he has ever done, taking 13 wickets poor average of 53.8 and strike rate Rajasthan Royals this season, expe-
in seven matches at an average of of 31.2. rienced more sharpness and consis-
Starting with Bumrah himself, just 12.84 and a brilliant strike rate But in the second half, he turned tency in his bowling this year. The
the 30-year-old made a brilliant of 15.07, which also included his things around, just like RCB did joint sixth-highest wicket-taker has
comeback to the IPL after missing five-wicket haul. in their dream-like six-match win 16 scalps in 15 games at an average
the last season due to injuries. Even The rest of the Indian pacers, streak till the playoffs. In the next of 31.18, strike rate of 19.06, econ-
when other bowlers’ deliveries were Mohammed Siraj of Royal Challeng- seven matches, Siraj got 10 wick- omy rate of 9.81 and best figures of
smashed into the skies and batting ers Bengaluru (RCB), Avesh Khan ets, with his average and strike rate 3/44.
records were being broken left and of Rajasthan Royals (RR), left-arm drastically falling to 22.7 and a strike He has also been much sharper
right, watching Bumrah made one pacers Khaleel Ahmed (Delhi Cap- rate of 16.80. His economy rate also in the second half, with nine wick-
feel that somewhere, cricket is still a itals) and Arshdeep Singh (Punjab dropped from 10.34 in the first half to ets at an average of 28.44, a strike
bowler’s game, given the bowler is as Kings) are also among the wickets just 8.10 per over. His turnaround is rate of 15.88 and an economy rate
magical as him. as well and have produced some a big encouragement for India, who of around six.

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