Ahead of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand on Sunday, Australian legend Michael Clarke hailed Jasprit Bumrah, calling him the most important bowler in the world right now. Clarke also predicted that Bumrah could end up as the Man of the Match in the final.
Bumrah is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the ongoing tournament, behind Varun Chakaravarthy (13). The Indian pacer has taken 10 wickets in seven games, with an economy rate of 6.63. Among Indian bowlers in this edition, he has the best economy rate.
‘Defining factor for India’: Michael Clarke
Speaking on the Beyond23 cricket podcast, he said, “One thing is having so many options (variations), but most importantly, having the skills to execute under pressure. This is what makes him the best in the world. He has been a defining factor for India. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is Man of the Match in the final. He’s just so dominant.”
Clarke pointed out Bumrah’s excellence in all three formats, calling him ‘a match-winner’.
“India are the standout team in this tournament. They have been absolutely brilliant. We probably haven’t spoken much about him throughout this World Cup campaign, because we now just expect it. Bumrah. He is just a freak. All three formats, he is, by a distance, the most important player in the world in all three formats. He is a match-winner. He bowls the most difficult overs. Run-saving machine, wicket-taker, execution under pressure is better than anybody in world cricket.”
Imagining himself as a captain managing Bumrah, Clarke added, “He’s got so many different skills. It’s like when you see the best batters, we always talk about how they make runs under pressure, but they do it in different conditions around the world. Bumrah does that. He wins games in all different conditions and at different stages of the game. If I was captaining him, my biggest challenge would be when to use him. That’s why they don’t look to open the bowling with him and you want two overs from him at the death.”
