Umar Gul feels Jasprit Bumrah faces added pressure ahead of India–Pakistan T20 World Cup tie | Exclusive
Jasprit Bumrah (Source: IG/Jaspritb1)
Published - 14 Feb 2026, 01:23 AM• Read time - 2 mins
Pakistan's legendary fast bowler Umar Gul feels that Jasprit Bumrah will be under the pump, coming into the marquee T20 World Cup clash involving the two Asian neighbours at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Gul acknowledged Bumrah's brilliance across formats but felt that India's pace spearhead would be feeling the heat in the lead-up to the fixture, as he had fairly ordinary outings against the Green Shirts during the Super Four and the final of last year's Asia Cup.
Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, in particular, was able to negate Bumrah's threat as he became the first player to hit him for three sixes in T20Is.
"To be honest, Jasprit Bumrah is undoubtedly one of the best bowlers in the world across formats. He has experience, he has skill, and his execution is remarkable," Gul said during the latest episode of the Mr Cricket UAE Podcast.
"However, he'll also be under the pump as he was unable to meet the expectations in the last few games he played against Pakistan during the Asia Cup. He was taken for runs, especially in the powerplay. Sahibzada Farhan tackled him really well during the Asia Cup and scored against him.
"India and Pakistan matches carry truckloads of pressure and therefore Bumrah will also feel the heat and therefore he would also come with a gameplan against every Pakistan batter," he added.
Meanwhile, when asked to name one India batter in the middle order who could take the game away from Pakistan at the R Premadasa, Gul namedropped star allrounder Hardik Pandya for his swashbuckling batting credentials.
"One player from India's middle order who is really calm, composed, and can be really threatening for Pakistan is Hardik Pandya. Hardik Pandya's wicket will be extremely crucial for Pakistan because his ball-striking ability and shot selection separate him from the rest. He is not a one-dimensional player; he can score runs on both sides of the wicket. He is the key player for India," Gul mentioned.
