Shaheen for Pakistan or Bumrah for India; Who has had the worse Asia Cup 2025 so far?

Bumrah and Shaheen have flopped in Asia Cup 2025 so far [Source: AFP]

India and Pakistan had yet another thrilling clash, which the Men in Blue sealed comfortably by six wickets. Amid the fireworks of Sahibzada Farhan and Abhishek Sharma, an event that grabbed the attention was another poor performance from Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi. 

Bumrah and Afridi have been proven performers with the ball, scalping 92 and 111 wickets for India and Pakistan, respectively. Considering their reputation as the most potent frontline pacers from the rival camps, their ordinary numbers in the Asia Cup have made fans raise their eyebrows. 

Shaheen Afridi vs Jasprit Bumrah: Stats comparison in Asia Cup 2025

(Shaheen vs Bumrah in Asia Cup so far)

The aforementioned stats suggest both Shaheen Afridi and Jasprit Bumrah have had an ordinary tournament with the ball. However, Bumrah has registered a slightly better average and strike rate, while conceding runs at a higher economy than his Pakistani counterpart. This means Bumrah has been slightly more potent as a wicket-taking option. 

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Shaheen vs Bumrah: Bowling performance in Asia Cup across phases

Observations and inference

• Interestingly, Shaheen and Bumrah have mostly been used in the powerplay in this Asia Cup so far. Although Shaheen is hailed for his new-ball bowling in the powerplay, Bumrah has struck at a better rate while conceding fewer runs, as evidenced by his average and strike rate in the first six-over phase. 
• On the other hand, both these bowlers have managed a solitary wicket in the slog overs, with Shaheen surprisingly registering a better economy rate than Bumrah in the final five-over phase. 
• So, statistically, Bumrah has done much better than Shaheen in the powerplay, while it's the other way around in the death overs. 

India or Pakistan; which team has suffered more due to Shaheen, Bumrah's poor form?

Observations and inference

The data mentioned in the above table signifies that both India and Pakistan haven't really missed their ace speedsters, with the other bowlers chipping in with crucial contributions. 

The Indian bowlers have been more efficient than their Pakistani counterparts, taking fewer deliveries to take a wicket. However, the Pakistan bowlers have registered a slightly better economy rate than the Indians despite having an off day against their arch-rivals in their first Super Four match. 

Conclusion

Both India and Pakistan faced the UAE and Oman, apart from taking on each other twice in their first four Asia Cup 2025 outings. Considering they are yet to take on Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - more formidable teams than Oman and the UAE- we reckon the upcoming challenges will give us a clear picture about the potential impact of Bumrah and Shaheen's poor form (provided it persists) on India and Pakistan, respectively. That said, Bumrah has been slightly better as a bowler, while Shaheen's excellent batting (64 runs at a strike rate of 206.45) makes him a better overall package as of now in the Asia Cup 2025. 

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