Jasprit Bumrah recounts journey with Mumbai Indians: 'Grateful for where I've come'

Mumbai Indians’ star pacer Jasprit Bumrah is featuring in his 100th IPL game in their clash against Chennai Super Kings, which MI ended up losing. Phase 2 of the IPL 2021 has kicked off at the Dubai International Stadium with an encounter that saw defending champions MI lose by 20 runs. However, after the match, Bumrah said in a Twitter post that he is grateful for where he is now and excited about the future.

He also spoke to the Mumbai Indians Instagram channel and talked about his journey so far and what the future might hold.

"I've been part of Mumbai Indians since 2013 so I have learnt a lot in this team. I came here as a teenager and have gone through the journey. People have seen me you know, evolving as a young player to now playing international cricket. Slowly slowly, I have evolved as a player. Every year, you learn something new. So you want to use that into the IPL. I always take one day at a time, one practice session at a time. So as you come into the game you don't feel a lot different, feels like you have just played a game yesterday. I never set any goals. Whatever the team wants me to do, I am up for that role. So yeah, it's been a special journey and the journey hopefully continues," said Bumrah.

Bumrah's IPL career at a glance

Bumrah, who made his debut for MI in 2013, has become the sixth player from the Mumbai-based franchise to feature in 100 IPL games. Also, he is only the fifth player behind RCB's Virat Kohli (199), MI's Kieron Pollard (171), KKR's Sunil Narine (124), MI's Lasith Malinga (122) to feature in 100 or more games for a single franchise.

Notably, Bumrah’s maiden IPL wicket was of the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He has since then dismissed him on three more occasions. Over the years, he has been leading the bowling attack and has 115 wickets to his name at an impressive average of 24.14. The pacer is the third-highest wicket-taker for MI, just behind Harbhajan Sigh (127) and Lasith Malinga (170), and has become a key asset to the side and has been a vital component of MI’s five IPL titles.

Bumrah’s best IPL season came during the IPL 2020, where he ended the campaign as the second-highest wicket-taker (27) and had the best bowling average (14.96). He also became the third-youngest bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark during the 2020 IPL season. He will now aim to deliver the same performance in the second phase of the IPL 2021. With the season being played in the UAE, it is expected that Bumrah will once again shine for MI and help them clinch the third consecutive title. Bumrah has six wickets to his name in seven matches during the first phase of the IPL 2021, and he will aim to add more to his tally.

Image: @Jaspritbumrah93/Twitter