Bumrah entitled to have a bad IPL season: Kieron Pollard's big message to critics
IPL 2026: Kieron Pollard defended Jasprit Bumrah after the Mumbai Indians pacer returned 0 for 54 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. His remarks highlighted the scrutiny on cricketers as Bumrah's lean IPL 2026 run continued.
In the unforgiving ecosystem of the IPL, where a bowler is often only as good as his last four overs, even a titan like Jasprit Bumrah is finding that past glory offers little shelter from a modern-day storm. On Wednesday night at the Wankhede, the man widely regarded as the world's finest looked startlingly human.
After Bumrah was dismantled by a relentless SunRisers Hyderabad – conceding 54 runs in a wicketless four-over spell – Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard stepped in to serve as a human shield. His post-match message was a rare appeal for perspective in a league that rarely grants it: "He is allowed to have a bad day, and he is allowed to have a bad season."
Tasked with defending a massive 245, Mumbai looked to their spearhead to kill the contest early. Instead, the SRH openers treated Bumrah with a lack of reverence that bordered on the surreal. Introduced in the second over, he was immediately targeted by Abhishek Sharma, who sent him deep into the stands. By the end of his second over in the Powerplay, Bumrah had leaked 32 runs, helpless against a 92-run opening stand by Travis Head and Abhishek.
The discomfort followed him into the death overs. Usually the master of the yorker, Bumrah struggled with his lengths and lines. In the 14th over, Heinrich Klaasen punished him for a towering six, and in the 18th, the ultimate indignity arrived when youngster Salil Arora cleared the boundary with ease. With final figures of 0/54, it was a performance that suggested a bowler who is not just out of rhythm, but perhaps out of gas.
THE STATISTICAL ANOMALY
The numbers for IPL 2026 are jarring. In eight matches, Bumrah has managed just two wickets, languishing with an average of 132 and an economy of 8.80. For a player who has consistently crossed the 15-wicket mark every season since 2016, the drop-off is a genuine shock.
It is a puzzling dip considering his heroics in the recent T20 World Cup, where his four-wicket haul against New Zealand secured the trophy for India. Whether it is the physical toll of that campaign or the mental fatigue of carrying a struggling MI attack, the spark is currently missing.
BUMRAH'S RIGHT TO FAIL?
Addressing the media, Pollard moved beyond tactical analysis to deliver a poignant defence of his teammate's right to fail.
"Again, when a cricketer is not doing well, we look at every single aspect as to why he's not doing well. And there's no difference with Jasprit Bumrah, all right? He has done this for years," Pollard said.
"As a human being, he's entitled as well to make mistakes, to not have a good day, not have a good season, not have a good couple of months. And I just feel that we need to sometimes remember the good things that he has done."
Pollard highlighted the unique, exposed nature of the profession.
"Yes, we try to live in the present, and he hasn't been up to the mark. But he's still been the number one bowler for the Mumbai Indians and India over a period of time. So I just feel that sometimes we can cut some slack to us cricketers, because, as I always say, we are unfortunate to always be in the public eye."
He drew a sharp parallel to life outside the boundary ropes.
"When normal people have jobs, and they send the wrong email, they have the opportunity to edit the words and all these things. We don't have that opportunity. So it's fair and fine – when you're not doing well, you accept certain things. And knowing the individual, I know he's going to bounce back to greater heights and take wickets. And we're again going to be singing "Bumrah, Bumrah," not only for Mumbai Indians but for India. So again, let's cut him some slack, and let's see if that might help him as well – if we see some good things written about him."
What came as a surprise was that Jasprit Bumrah had his worst outing of the season so far, despite a week-long break. The pace spearhead will be in focus again when the Mumbai Indians take on the Chennai Super Kings in a crucial game at Chepauk on Saturday, May 2.
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In the unforgiving ecosystem of the IPL, where a bowler is often only as good as his last four overs, even a titan like Jasprit Bumrah is finding that past glory offers little shelter from a modern-day storm. On Wednesday night at the Wankhede, the man widely regarded as the world's finest looked startlingly human.
After Bumrah was dismantled by a relentless SunRisers Hyderabad – conceding 54 runs in a wicketless four-over spell – Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard stepped in to serve as a human shield. His post-match message was a rare appeal for perspective in a league that rarely grants it: "He is allowed to have a bad day, and he is allowed to have a bad season."
Tasked with defending a massive 245, Mumbai looked to their spearhead to kill the contest early. Instead, the SRH openers treated Bumrah with a lack of reverence that bordered on the surreal. Introduced in the second over, he was immediately targeted by Abhishek Sharma, who sent him deep into the stands. By the end of his second over in the Powerplay, Bumrah had leaked 32 runs, helpless against a 92-run opening stand by Travis Head and Abhishek.
The discomfort followed him into the death overs. Usually the master of the yorker, Bumrah struggled with his lengths and lines. In the 14th over, Heinrich Klaasen punished him for a towering six, and in the 18th, the ultimate indignity arrived when youngster Salil Arora cleared the boundary with ease. With final figures of 0/54, it was a performance that suggested a bowler who is not just out of rhythm, but perhaps out of gas.
THE STATISTICAL ANOMALY
The numbers for IPL 2026 are jarring. In eight matches, Bumrah has managed just two wickets, languishing with an average of 132 and an economy of 8.80. For a player who has consistently crossed the 15-wicket mark every season since 2016, the drop-off is a genuine shock.
It is a puzzling dip considering his heroics in the recent T20 World Cup, where his four-wicket haul against New Zealand secured the trophy for India. Whether it is the physical toll of that campaign or the mental fatigue of carrying a struggling MI attack, the spark is currently missing.
BUMRAH'S RIGHT TO FAIL?
Addressing the media, Pollard moved beyond tactical analysis to deliver a poignant defence of his teammate's right to fail.
"Again, when a cricketer is not doing well, we look at every single aspect as to why he's not doing well. And there's no difference with Jasprit Bumrah, all right? He has done this for years," Pollard said.
"As a human being, he's entitled as well to make mistakes, to not have a good day, not have a good season, not have a good couple of months. And I just feel that we need to sometimes remember the good things that he has done."
Pollard highlighted the unique, exposed nature of the profession.
"Yes, we try to live in the present, and he hasn't been up to the mark. But he's still been the number one bowler for the Mumbai Indians and India over a period of time. So I just feel that sometimes we can cut some slack to us cricketers, because, as I always say, we are unfortunate to always be in the public eye."
He drew a sharp parallel to life outside the boundary ropes.
"When normal people have jobs, and they send the wrong email, they have the opportunity to edit the words and all these things. We don't have that opportunity. So it's fair and fine – when you're not doing well, you accept certain things. And knowing the individual, I know he's going to bounce back to greater heights and take wickets. And we're again going to be singing "Bumrah, Bumrah," not only for Mumbai Indians but for India. So again, let's cut him some slack, and let's see if that might help him as well – if we see some good things written about him."
What came as a surprise was that Jasprit Bumrah had his worst outing of the season so far, despite a week-long break. The pace spearhead will be in focus again when the Mumbai Indians take on the Chennai Super Kings in a crucial game at Chepauk on Saturday, May 2.
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