Waqar also recalled Bumrah's splendid performance against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2024.
Having made his India white-ball debut in 2016 and Test debut in 2018, Bumrah has had a storied India career with two T20 World Cup wins and one ICC Champions Trophy win. He was part of both Indian squads that won back-to-back Test series in Australia and has captained India in Tests and T20Is.
Bumrah has picked 151 wickets in 91 ODIs, at an economy of 4.58 and best bowling figures of 6/19. He has 126 wickets in 100 T20Is at an economy of 6.52, with the best bowling figures of 4/15.
Coming to the test format, Bumrah has 234 wickets in 52 matches, with a strike rate of 19.79, with the best bowling figures of 6/27. He also has a Test hat-trick to his name, but Waqar Younis thinks that the Gujarat pacer still has a long way to go in the red-ball format.
“There’s no modern-day bowler of the same caliber as Bumrah with the white ball. Leave out Test cricket. He still has a lot to prove in Tests; he hasn’t played as much. There are plenty of others, like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. You can’t ignore some of the English bowlers either. But when you talk about T20 and one-day cricket, I feel that in terms of impact, Bumrah always delivers in crunch scenarios. And that’s what matters,” Waqar said on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast.
Bumrah was named the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2024 and has done well in places like Australia and England in tests.
Waqar is certain that Bumrah is the best in ODIs and T20Is. Waqar still vividly recalls the Indian pacer's match-turning spell against Pakistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York.
With Pakistan sitting comfortably at 80/3 after 14 overs and needing 40 runs from the last six, Bumrah removed Mohammad Rizwan, sparking a collapse as India defended 120 to win by six runs.
“Whenever an India captain is in trouble, he always gives the ball to Bumrah. Pakistan had no business losing in New York. The required rate was well under control. That over in which Bumrah dismissed Rizwan proved to be the difference. Impact players are the key players. A top player can motivate others who too feel that we have to match him,” Waqar added.
Jasprit Bumrah will be in action for India when they face New Zealand in a series of two Tests from November 19 onwards.