James Anderson proven right? After ICC World T20 win, here's a look at what English pace legend said on Bumrah

India’s triumph in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has renewed attention on remarks made by England fast-bowling legend James Anderson about Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

Ahead of the tournament’s final earlier this week, Anderson had described Bumrah as a bowler whose skill set stands apart in modern cricket. Following India’s World Cup victory, the comments are being widely shared by fans and analysts who believe the veteran pacer’s assessment has been vindicated.

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India entered the final against New Zealand national cricket team riding strong momentum, with Bumrah playing a central role throughout the knockout stages of the competition.

Anderson’s praise for Bumrah’s ‘unique’ skill

In a podcast with the BBC ahead of the final, Anderson said that Bumrah has skills that only a handful of bowlers around the world can match.

“The thing about Bumrah is, I look at him and think, I don’t think you can learn anything from him. He’s an absolute freak," Anderson said while complimenting the Indian pacer’s skills with the yorkers.

Anderson said that Bumrah’s ability to bowl six perfect yorkers in a row, including slower balls, makes him almost impossible to get after in the shortest format of the game. "There’s not one bowler in the world in any format who can bowl six yorkers out of six and absolutely nail it every time," Anderson said.

Anderson went on to say that even veteran international batsmen may prefer to play defensively against Bumrah rather than go hard after him.

Bumrah’s impact in India’s T20 World Cup campaign

Bumrah’s performance in these matches further validated Anderson’s observation.

In the semifinal against the England cricket team, the Indian bowler bowled a crucial spell in the end overs, giving away only 14 runs in his last two overs as India managed a narrow seven-run victory after scoring 253.

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In earlier matches in the tournament, Bumrah had also bowled a crucial over against the West Indies cricket team, dismissing Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase as India remained in firm control of the match.

This kind of performance was crucial in helping India win the tournament, with Bumrah once again cementing his reputation as one of the world’s best T20 bowlers.