Jasprit Bumrah, whose game needs no introduction, is renowned for his lethal yorkers and exceptional game-reading skills, making him arguably one of the greatest bowlers of the current generation. Bumrah, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been a top performer for the franchise since 2013, contributing significantly to their success in all five title wins.
With 165 wickets in 133 matches, he has been an invaluable asset to the team. In 2024, despite the team’s disappointing performance, finishing tenth, Bumrah stood out with his skills.
Since Hardik Pandya became the captain for the IPL 2024 season, there have been various reports of disruptions within the MI camp, reflected in the team’s poor performance and last-place finish. In November 2023, reports came that Bumrah had unfollowed Mumbai Indians on social media. It was also reported that Bumrah was unhappy with Hardik Pandya’s leadership during the 2024 season.
With the mega auction is on the way and numerous rumors circulating, could we see Bumrah leaving MI? There is no doubt that MI will go to great lengths to retain Bumrah for IPL 2025, as he is their bowling leader.
However, with reports suggesting that players like Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma might leave MI, there’s a possibility that Bumrah could also enter the 2025 mega auction. Also the right-arm pacer has a salary of Rs 12 crore and he can certainly earn more than this should he enter the auction.
If that happens, which team will go all out to secure him? It will depend largely on which team has the most money available in the auction. Bumrah could potentially become the most expensive player in the IPL 2025 mega auction. While MI will undoubtedly make every effort to bring the pacer back into their squad, if Bumrah decides to enter the auction, let’s see which team needs him the most.
Teams that could target Jasprit Bumrah at IPL 2025
Gujarat Titans
There are two reasons why the Gujarat Titans could try to pursue Jasprit Bumrah. First, they need a few good pacers. Since Shami, their prime bowler, missed the IPL 2024 due to injury, GT struggled in the tournament. Mohit Sharma, another key bowler, also faced difficulties.
GT needs a top-notch bowler in their team, and there’s no question they will be one of the teams bidding high on Jasprit Bumrah if he enters the upcoming mega auction. Other reason is ,Bumrah has played much of his cricket in Gujarat, which would make it a homecoming for him. His familiarity with the home ground would be a valuable asset for GT, especially during their home games.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Another team that undoubtedly needs bowlers is Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Team, known for investing heavily in batters, now desperately needs quality bowlers. Last season, they spent 8 crore on young bowler Yash Dayal, but he couldn’t significantly change their fortunes. Despite his best efforts, he took 15 wickets in 14 matches but had a relatively high economy rate of 9.15.
RCB have strong batting options, from Virat Kohli to Will Jacks to Cameron Green, but they lack a top-quality bowler. If Bumrah enters the auction, RCB is likely to go beyond limits to secure him. They will be keen to avoid the mistakes of the past, such as not retaining Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel, and will surely aim to strengthen their bowling lineup again.
Chennai Super Kings
Last but not least, the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings have a good lineup of bowlers, including Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Tushar Deshpande. However, similar to RCB, they have recently started relying heavily on their batting lineup, featuring Devon Conway, MS Dhoni, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, all of whom have the capability to score big runs. Despite this, CSK have struggled to control the flow of runs. In IPL 2024, the team conceded more than 190 runs in six out of 14 matches, highlighting the need for an experienced pacer in their attack.
Again It will depend on the team’s purse and the mega auction rules, but if we dig deeper, we might see CSK eyeing Bumrah if he enters the auction.
