“It’s Like Mumbai Housing Prices”, Hardik Pandya Praises Jasprit Bumrah, Calls Him Luxury

In the high-scoring IPL 2025 Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, where a staggering 436 runs were plundered across 40 overs, the pitch proved to be a true batting paradise. While bowlers largely struggled to contain the rampant batsmen from both the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, one exception stood out: Jasprit Bumrah.

The MI pace spearhead delivered a performance perfectly tailored for the occasion. In his four overs, Bumrah conceded a mere 27 runs and secured the crucial wicket of Washington Sundar, who had threatened to snatch the game away from the five-time IPL champions. During Bumrah’s spell, the Gujarat Titans could only manage two fours and a solitary six off his bowling. His masterful spell culminated in a thunderous yorker that cleaned up Sundar, who had already blasted an impressive 48 runs off just 23 deliveries before his dismissal.

MI captain Hardik Pandya openly acknowledged the “luxury” he possesses in Bumrah, drawing a unique comparison to emphasize his value. “It’s very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him (Bumrah). When you have that it’s a luxury. It’s like Mumbai housing prices – he’s that expensive,” Pandya explained, detailing his strategy for deploying the right-arm pacer at critical moments. He further added, “I was just watching the scoreboard, and I thought if we can keep extra runs at the end, I had the bowlers to bowl it. It was important that Jassi comes and bowls that over so that the margin becomes longer.”

Among the six bowlers who completed their four-over quotas, Bumrah’s economy rate of 6.8 was the most economical, with Rashid’s 7.8 being the next best. Despite Bumrah’s exceptional bowling display, the player-of-the-match award went to Rohit Sharma for his explosive batting performance, a blistering 81 runs off 50 balls that propelled MI to a match-winning total of 228/5. This marked the veteran opener’s fourth half-century of the season.