Jasprit Bumrah's Slower Ball Loses Bite in IPL 2025: Gavaskar Analysis

There was a time when Jasprit Bumrah's slower ball was not just a variation but pure sorcery. A carefully disguised trick, delivered with identical arm speed, it forced even the best batters into indecision. He used it like a prized toy, but in this IPL, that toy has looked outdated.

The numbers are stark: 46 slower balls bowled, 74 runs conceded, and no wickets. For a bowler whose reputation rests on deception and discipline, this is a rare dip. Overall, Bumrah has just three wickets in 10 matches this season, an economy of 8.89, and an average of 109.67. These figures do not do justice to a maestro, and his struggles have directly impacted the Mumbai Indians' forgettable campaign.

Gavaskar's Analysis

Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports, summed it up: "Bumrah is giving his best, but he seems to be trying too many extra things. He is creating wicket-taking chances, but luck is not on his side. His pace has also dropped. His go-to slower ball length has become fuller. The line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to the leg stump." This observation goes to the heart of the issue: the slower ball has lost precision.

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Past Successes

Bumrah's slower ball previously broke games open. In the 2018 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Shaun Marsh was plumb lbw. At Lord's in 2021, Ollie Robinson was deceived. In the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Steve Smith fell lbw. Mohammad Rizwan was twice foxed, and Harry Brook, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitch Santner in the T20 World Cup were all victims. The pattern was clear: disguise, timing, and situational awareness.

This Season's Struggles

This IPL, the surprise factor has thinned. Gavaskar notes technical drift: "His go-to slower ball length has become fuller... the line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to leg stump." This marginal shift matters. A fuller, leg-stump line allows batters to access angles. There is also overcomplication. "He is overdoing things, and that's hurting him. He should go back to his basics," Gavaskar added. Bumrah has used the slower ball too frequently: against RR, he bowled 10 off-pace balls out of 18. Six or seven no-balls hint at disrupted rhythm.

Familiarity and Adaptation

Bumrah is no longer an unknown quantity. Analysts and rival skippers dissect his patterns. In T20's hyper-analytical ecosystem, micro-signals get decoded. On flatter pitches, the margin for error is negligible. A slower ball that once induced mishits now travels.

Is This a Decline?

Gavaskar urges caution: "It will take just one or two games. Once he starts picking up wickets, he will be back on track." Bumrah has faced adaptation cycles before. When yorkers were picked, he leaned into hard lengths. The slower ball emerged as a response to batters getting comfortable. This could be another phase where the weapon has been read, and the wielder must sharpen it again.

Here is the data for Bumrah's slower balls this season: