King Shreyas’ experience, nous, acumen and ability to the fore Premium

Discover the common thread between Ollie Pope and Washington Sundar, both victims of Jasprit Bumrah's iconic yorkers.

Quickly: Beyond both representing their respective countries, what is the iconic, unforgettable, eminently forgettable (for the two protagonists, that is) common thread that binds Ollie Pope and Washington Sundar together?

If you said embarrassingly having their stumps splattered by magical yorkers from Jasprit Bumrah, allow yourself a pat on the back. Or not, really. After all, the images of those two searing deliveries are etched in our memories, Pope’s flabbergasted consternation matched only by Sundar lying on his stomach, wondering where that missile had come from, without warning.

Actually, strike out ‘embarrassingly’, too. What’s so embarrassing about being schooled by the best in the business, bar none? About being told emphatically who the master is? About being reminded of being in the presence of greatness? Jasprit Bumrah, without question, is all this and more.

As always, Bumrah held the key to Mumbai Indians’ slip-sliding fortunes at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night. He had seen his batters stack up 203 for six in a knockout game, in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2025, against a side that was making its first appearance in the playoffs since 2014, and which had been swatted aside by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 three nights previously.

Their abject capitulation against Josh Hazlewood and company must have come as a chastening wake-up call for Punjab Kings, whose status as league toppers counted for nothing when they were blown away for 101 in front of their home fans in Mullanpur on Thursday. Leggie Suyash Sharma was the Player of the Match officially, but the damage up front was wreaked by Hazlewood, among whose victims was Shreyas Iyer, the Kings’ inspirational captain.

Shreyas’ ill-advised hoick with his team already two down in the PowerPlay wasn’t the most edifying sight. In a team full of uncapped Indian batters – Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, among them – Shreyas stood out with his experience, his nous, his acumen, his ability. The ungainly stroke against Hazlewood was out of character. It must have rankled. When he came out on Sunday at No. 4 at the beginning of the final over of the PowerPlay, his side had rattled along to 55 in 5.1 overs, though they must have felt they had given away one wicket too many.

The second ball he received, from Ashwani Kumar who was on a high after accounting for Arya, went away from Shreyas with the left-armer’s angle from over the stumps. Slightly short, climbing a little over waist height. Shreyas rocked back and casually, nonchalantly, dismissively deposited it over square-leg for four, no hint of violence, let alone being troubled by the bounce.