T20 WC: Bangar hails Bumrah; Chopra cautions India against Henry

Ahead of the T20 WC 2026 final, Sanjay Bangar lauded Jasprit Bumrah as the "Don Bradman of bowling." Aakash Chopra cautioned India against NZ pacer Matt Henry, recalling his dismissal of Sanju Samson and highlighting his dangerous pace.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar hailed India's ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, hailing him as the "Don Bradman of bowling." Aakash Chopra, on the other hand, cautioned the Indian batters against New Zealand's pace spearhead Matt Henry ahead of the T20 WC summit clash in Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

Jasprit Bumrah played a crucial role in India's semifinal win against England at Wankhede. With 499 runs being scored in total, Bumrah only conceded 33 runs in 4 overs, taking a crucial wicket of opposition captain Harry Brook. Batting first, India posted a daunting 253-7 and England, courtesy of Jacob Bethell's century, were in the hunt for India's target for most of the match. With England appearing to be on course for victory, the match's turning point came when Jasprit Bumrah delivered a brilliant 18th over, conceding just six runs while England needed 45 from the final three overs at the start of it. He bowled four pinpoint yorkers in the over. India eventually managed to restrict England to 246/7, winning the match by a slim seven-run margin. Earlier, Bumrah also bowled a tight 16th over, giving away just eight runs in the over.

'Don Bradman of bowling'

Speaking on JioStar, Sanjay Bangar hailed Jasprit Bumrah as the "Don Bradman of bowling," and highlighted Bumrah's unmatched impact across formats, praising his exceptional control, ability to deceive batters with pace, and his sharp cricketing intelligence. He also noted Bumrah's mastery of executing yorkers consistently, along with his effective use of swing and slower deliveries, which allows him to outthink batters and influence matches whenever he bowls. "Jasprit Bumrah is the Don Bradman of bowling. There is no doubt about that. He leaves an impact that cannot be matched by any other bowler. Not just in T20Is, in any format he plays, he delivers without fail. The control he has and his ability to deceive batters with pace is incredible. He uses his brain in a terrific manner. He knows exactly how to execute those perfect yorkers. Out of six balls, four are perfect yorkers, landing in the right spot and not turning into full tosses. That is a quality Bumrah has achieved with a lot of hard work. But I think the way he uses his brain and out-thinks the batsmen, not just with yorkers but with swinging balls and slower ones, he leaves an impact on the game wherever and whenever he bowls," Bangar said.

Chopra cautions India against Matt Henry

Aakash Chopra, on the other hand, praised New Zealand pacer Matt Henry and highlighted how the fast bowler can cause problems for the Indian batters in the T20 World Cup 2026 final. Chopra highlighted Henry's pace, yorkers and sharp bouncer, noting that his unpredictable style and disciplined plans make him difficult to attack. He also pointed out that Sanju Samson will need to be careful against Henry, recalling how the pacer dismissed him for a golden duck in the Guwahati T20I during the five-match bilateral T20I series before the World Cup. Henry is coming off a fine spell of 2/34 in the semifinal win against South Africa. Although both of his wickets came in the closing overs, Henry will be confident about taking on India's aggressive opening pair, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who are likely to attack from the very beginning. So far in the tournament, Henry has taken nine wickets in eight matches at an impressive average of 20.66.

'Sanju Samson will have to play carefully'

"Matt Henry is a very dangerous bowler and he is going to cause problems for India in the final. Sometimes he can be expensive, but he is one of those bowlers who takes the pitch out of the equation. He is quick in the air, has the speed and the ability to bowl yorkers, and he's not predictable at all. He has a lethal bouncer in his arsenal, so you cannot line him up easily. He does not use the leg cutter as quickly as Jofra Archer, he sticks to his plans. That will be a challenge for the Indian batters," he said.

"Sanju Samson will have to play carefully against him. Sanju has a habit of standing deep in the crease with both feet. That led to his dismissal against Henry in the Guwahati T20I. Henry bowled a quick delivery and Sanju could not read it. He got out for a golden duck. Matt Henry can produce results with the new ball. Samson will have to watch out for him," Aakash Chopra added.

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