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There was a time when Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball wasn’t just a variation, it was sorcery. A carefully disguised trick, delivered with identical arm speed, that forced even the best batters into indecision. He didn’t just use it. He used it like the latest smartphone and toyed with it.

This IPL, that toy has looked a little outdated.

The numbers are uncharacteristically stark: 46 slower balls bowled, 74 runs conceded, no wickets. For a bowler whose reputation rests as much on deception as on discipline, that’s a rare dip. And it mirrors a broader struggle. Bumrah has just three wickets in 10 matches this season, an economy of 8.89, and an average ballooning to 109.67. These are figures that don't do justice to a maestro, and Bumrah's struggles have had a direct impact on the Mumbai Indians in what has been a forgettable campaign.




Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports, perhaps summed it up best:

“Bumrah is giving his best, but he seems to be trying too many extra things. He is creating wicket-taking chances, but luck is not on his side. His pace has also dropped. His go-to slower ball length has become fuller. The line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to the leg stump.”

That observation goes to the heart of the issue. The slower ball hasn’t just lost bite, it has lost precision.

But one perhaps understands why Bumrah goes to it so often. Because it has allowed him to break games open. Just hit the rewind button and jog your memory back to the Boxing Day Test vs Australia at the MCG in 2018. Shaun Marsh in. India pushing for a breakthrough before lunch. Bumrah rolls his fingers across the seam, same action, different pace, Marsh doesn't read it, and the ball hits his pads, and he is plumb in front as India seize control.

Lord’s 2021: Ollie Robinson, eating into time and blunting India’s push for a memorable win on Day Five, was undone by a change of pace from round the stumps and was lbw.

The global stage offered even clearer illustrations. Steve Smith failed to spot a slower one in the 2023 ODI World Cup final and was lbw. It offered a brief window where India sensed momentum in a heartbreaking loss. Mohammad Rizwan, twice deceived, in Ahmedabad and then in New York. Harry Brook in the T20 WC semifinal, Rachin Ravindra and Mitch Santner in the final, each instance reinforcing how Bumrah used the slower ball not as a stock option, but as a trigger point for collapse.

His MI teammate Ryan Rickelton could not read his variation in Ahmedabad, and Roston Chase in Kolkata too was foxed. The pattern was familiar. Bumrah’s slower ball thrived on disguise, timing and understanding of the situation. It arrived when batters least expected it, and left them without answers.



This IPL, that layer of surprise appears thinner.

Gavaskar points to technical drift:

“His go-to slower ball length has become fuller… the line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to leg stump.”

That marginal shift matters. Bumrah’s slower ball has always worked best when it threatened the stumps first, forcing batters to commit. A fuller, leg-stump line offers release, allowing hitters to access angles, even off mistimed strokes.

There’s also an element of overcomplication.

“He is overdoing things, and that's hurting him… He should go back to his basics and stick to what works best for him,” Gavaskar noted.



In trying to stay ahead of increasingly prepared batters, Bumrah seems to have added layers, different lengths, slight variations in pace, but in doing so, has he diluted the clarity that once defined the delivery? The slower ball was most effective when it was simple, sharp, and perfectly placed and used sparingly. Now, it occasionally sits in a hittable zone. Also, he has used it too frequently. Against RR, when he had to bowl a maximum of 18 balls, he bowled 10 off-pace ones. Even the uncharacteristic no-balls, six or seven this season, hint at disrupted rhythm.

“He is not known for bowling many no-balls. Trying new things is affecting his rhythm,” Gavaskar added.

For a bowler built on control, rhythm is everything.

There’s also the inevitable factor: familiarity.

Bumrah is no longer an unknown quantity. His release, his cues, his patterns, all are constantly dissected by analysts and rival skippers and coaches through years of data and exposure. Batters aren’t just reacting anymore; they’re anticipating. In T20 cricket’s hyper-analytical ecosystem, even micro-signals get decoded.

And on flatter pitches, the margin for error is negligible. A slower ball that once induced mishits now travels

Is it right to call this IPL the start of a decline for Bumrah?

Gavaskar wants to tread with caution on that one. “It will take just one or two games. Once he starts picking up wickets, he will be back on track.”

Bumrah has faced adaptation cycles before. When yorkers were picked, he leaned into hard lengths. When batters lined those up, he turned to angles and seam. The slower ball itself once emerged as a response to batters getting comfortable.

This could simply be another such phase, where the weapon has been read. Maybe it's time for the wielder to sharpen it again.

Slower ones bowled by Jasprit Bumrah

Opposition	Ball Numbers	Slower Balls	Runs Conceded	Wickets
LSG	1.5 (0), 3.3 (6), 3.5 (1), 13.3 (NB+2), 18.4 (0)	5	9	0
CSK (Match 1)	14.4 (0)	1	0	0
SRH	1.4 (6), 5.2 (4), 13.1 (1), 13.4 (0), 13.5 (4), 17.4 (1)	6	16	0
CSK (Match 2)	4.3 (6)	1	6	0
GT	No slower balls used	0	0	1
PBKS	1.3 (0), 1.5 (0), 5.5 (0), 12.2 (4), 14.1 (4), 14.3 (1), 14.6 (0)	7	9	0
RCB	3.2 (4), 3.4 (2), 5.5 (1 + wide), 16.1 (1), 16.3 (0)	6	9	0
RR	1.2 (1), 1.3 (1), 1.4 (6), 1.6 (0), 6.3 (1), 6.5 (1), 9.1 (0), 9.3 (wide+1), 9.5 (0), 9.6 (1)	10	12	0
DC	5.3 (0), 5.5 (1), 5.6 (0), 12.1 (0), 12.5 (0), 15.2 (1), 15.4 (wide+1)	6	3	0
KKR	4.3 (4), 11.2 (1), 11.5 (1), 17.1 (4)	4	10	0
Total	—	46	74	0

Chennai Super Kings kept their IPL 2026 campaign alive with a commanding eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals at the Kotla, a result that has dramatically altered the playoff equation for both teams. CSK’s disciplined bowling, led by Akeal Hosein, restricted DC to a below-par 155/7 before Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 87 off 52 ensured a stress-free chase with 15 balls to spare. More importantly for CSK, the victory pushed them back into the top-four conversation after weeks of inconsistency. With momentum finally building and two of their remaining four games against the struggling Lucknow Super Giants, CSK have given themselves a genuine shot at a late surge.

CSK’s Current IPL 2026 Points Table Standing

• Matches: 10
• Wins: 5
• Losses: 5
• Points: 10
• Net Run Rate: +0.151
• Position: 6th

They are only two points behind the cluster of teams tied on 12 points, but the table remains extremely congested. One strong week can push them into the top four; one bad week can end their campaign. After spending most of the season drifting around mid-table, CSK are now locked in a tight playoff race.

IPL 2026 playoff qualification benchmark

• 14 points (7 wins): Minimum realistic cutoff
• 16 points (8 wins): Safe zone

The only major exception came in 2019, when Sunrisers Hyderabad qualified with 12 points - still the only instance of a team qualifying with fewer than 14 points and a team qualifying despite having more losses than wins


In most seasons, 7 wins keeps you alive, 8 wins puts you in control.

What Chennai Super Kings need from here

• Matches remaining: 4
• Current points: 10
• To reach 14 points: need 2 wins from 4 matches
• To reach 16 points: need 3 wins from 4 matches

The scheduling works in their favour. Two matches against bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants offer a direct route into contention before tougher fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans.


But there is very little margin for error now. A defeat in either LSG game would significantly complicate their path and drag Net Run Rate back into the equation.

CSK Building Momentum

CSK’s campaign has finally begun showing signs of stability after weeks of alternating wins and losses. They have now won two of their last three matches and, more importantly, have looked tactically clearer in those victories.


Their bowling attack has started adapting better to surfaces that demand discipline rather than outright pace. Against Delhi Capitals, CSK squeezed the middle overs expertly, conceding just 155 despite conditions easing later in the evening. Akeal Hosein’s control up front and the attack’s willingness to bowl into the pitch reflected a side finally understanding its best template.


The batting, meanwhile, looks far calmer when Sanju Samson anchors the innings. His unbeaten 87 against DC was not just a match-winning knock but a reminder that CSK’s chase structure depends heavily on one senior batter controlling tempo through the middle overs.


Yet the inconsistency has not disappeared entirely. CSK have still not won more than two consecutive matches all season, and their defeats have often stemmed from batting slowdowns in the middle overs rather than outright collapses. Their Net Run Rate of +0.151 also shows few dominant wins they have produced compared to the teams above them.

The big problem: Overdependence on Samson to stabilise the batting

CSK’s biggest concern is not their bowling or even their Net Run Rate. It is the fragile structure of their batting whenever Sanju Samson does not bat deep.


Too often this season, CSK’s innings have lacked tempo once early wickets fall. Samson’s unbeaten 87 against Delhi Capitals once again highlighted how dependent the side is on him to manage difficult phases and pace chases. When he anchors, CSK look composed. When he falls early, the middle order has repeatedly struggled to recover rhythm.


The issue becomes more significant because CSK’s remaining fixtures include two high-pressure games against playoff rivals after the LSG double-header. Against stronger bowling attacks like SRH and GT, relying on one batter to absorb pressure becomes risky.


Their supporting cast has contributed in patches - Kartik Sharma’s unbeaten 41 against DC was valuable - but the team still lacks consistent finishing power lower down the order. That leaves CSK vulnerable in tight chases and in a crowded mid-table race where margins are razor-thin, one batting failure could undo weeks of recovery.

Upcoming IPL 2026 fixtures for Chennai Super Kings

• May 10 vs Lucknow Super Giants (Chennai) - A must-win home game against the bottom side in the tournament.
• May 15 vs Lucknow Super Giants (Lucknow) - Potentially decisive away fixture; dropping points here could hurt badly.
• May 18 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Chennai) - Major playoff-defining clash against one of the form teams this season.
• May 21 vs Gujarat Titans (Ahmedabad) - Tough final-league away test against a direct qualification rival.

CSK’s IPL 2026 Playoff Qualification Scenarios

• Win 3 or 4 matches: CSK likely qualify comfortably
• Win 2 matches: Reach 14 points; qualification could depend on NRR and other results
• Win only 1 match: Almost certainly eliminated
• Lose both matches to LSG: Campaign likely collapses immediately

CSK are no longer staring at elimination. The win over Delhi Capitals has dragged them firmly back into contention and, for the first time in weeks, their playoff path is largely in their own hands.


But this is still a side operating without much cushion. Their batting remains heavily dependent on Samson, their Net Run Rate is modest, and two difficult fixtures await after the LSG games.



The equation is simple now: beat the teams below them and steal one result against the top sides. Do that, and CSK should qualify. Fail, and another inconsistent season will end with what-ifs.