'He is as valuable as the Kohinoor diamond. I hope people realise how important he is to the team across formats'
'He is absolute genius. That is the only word for him'
'There is no question he is India's greatest fast bowler. I played with Kapil Dev but this guy is different'
'I thought Malcolm Marshall was the best I saw in reading a batter and setting him up but this guy is not far behind'
Jasprit Bumrah’s masterclass at Headingley didn’t just rattle England — it left cricket legends in awe.
Former players and commentators have lauded the Indian pace spearhead for his match-winning ability, consistency, and cricketing intelligence — with comparisons to legends like Shane Warne, Kapil Dev, and Malcolm Marshall.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik didn’t hold back in his admiration, calling Bumrah 'as valuable as the Kohinoor diamond' and underlining his dominance across all formats.
"He is as valuable as the Kohinoor diamond. I hope people realise how important he is to the team across formats. He will make it work regardless of formats, bowling phase and any kind of ball. But more importantly, he has got the brain that knows what the batter is trying to do and he has got that wired very nicely. In the history of the game, for any bowler who has picked more than 200 wickets, he has the best average and that tells you he is something very special," Karthik said on Sky Cricket.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain echoed that sentiment, describing Bumrah as an 'absolute genius' and comparing his skill in baffling batters to the artistry of legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne.
"Hopefully he stays injury free and we talk about him for years to come. There are two brilliant things to watch in cricket — a wrist spinner like Shane Warne bamboozling batters and a genuine fast bowler like Bumrah bamboozling batters," Hussain said on Sky Sports.
He further noted that while Bumrah’s unconventional action is uniquely his own, it should not be emulated.
"He is absolute genius. That is the only word for him. You wouldn't want to replicate him, you wouldn't want to say to young boys and girls to go replicate this run-up or this action.
"He knows what he is doing, he has perfected an art and he is going to be a thorn in England's side — not for five Tests, maybe three. In those three Test matches he is going to take a shed load of wickets," he added.
But it was former India head coach Ravi Shastri who perhaps delivered the highest praise of all, placing Bumrah alongside two all-time greats: Kapil Dev and Malcolm Marshall. Shastri believes Bumrah’s ability to read batters and dismantle any lineup makes him India's greatest-ever fast bowler.
“There is no question he is India's greatest fast bowler. I played with Kapil Dev but this guy is different. He can take any opposition apart, on any surface, in any format. I thought Malcolm Marshall was the best I saw in reading a batter and setting him up but this guy is not far behind. When he is swinging the new ball it becomes hard for any batter in the world to counter him, what with the action and the late release,” Shastri said on Sky Cricket.
Bumrah’s figures of 5 for 82 helped India bowl England out for 465 just before tea on Day 3, securing a slender six-run lead in the first innings. It was his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and a performance that once again reaffirmed his stature as India’s most dependable match-winner with the red ball.
The effort was all the more commendable given the lack of support from the rest of India’s pace attack and a below-par fielding display. Bumrah had three catches dropped off his bowling on Day 2, yet remained relentless, returning the next morning to remove two more English batters and stall their charge.
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