‘He’s like Messi or Ronaldo’: Ex-England captain’s jaw-dropping comparison of Bumrah

former england captain Michael Vaughn full of admiration Jasprit Bumrah The Indian pacer performed brilliantly in the final of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad against the New Zealand national cricket team on Sunday.bangla Staged a historic spell, shooting 4 for 15 in the title game. In the process, he became the first fast bowler in the history of the tournament to take four wickets in a knockout match. This performance also took him to 40 wickets in all his appearances in the T20 World Cup, the most by a pace bowler, while maintaining an impressive economy rate of 5.66.

During a discussion on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Warne made the bold claim that Bumrah is the best bowler he has seen in all his years of following cricket. The former England captain even compared the Indian pacer with global football superstars Lionel Messi and cristiano ronaldohighlighting the impact he can have on the team.“Have Jasprit Bumrah in the England team and they will win,” he said.Former England batsman Mark Butcher was quick to agree with that assessment.“I think if you put him on anybody’s team, they’re going to win.”“That’s right,” Vaughan added. “He could be like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo – those types of players.”However, the conversation took an interesting turn when former England cricketer David Lloyd reminded Warne of his previous remarks.“Didn’t you say he was the best bowler you ever saw?” Lloyd asked.Vaughn stood his ground.“Yes, he is. You have to remember, I have been watching or studying cricket since 1985 and he is the best I have ever seen.”Another former England captain, Alastair Cookoffers a slightly more cautious view. While Cook admits that Bumrah is the leading multi-format bowler in world cricket today, he wonders if the Indian pacer has created a truly iconic match-winning spell in Test cricket.“Is he the best in terms of winning spells in Test cricket? There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best all-format bowler. I mean, you can safely say that. But has he bowled a spell like 8/15 in Test matches or is he just not that kind of bowler?” he asked.However, Vaughan was quick to defend Bumrah’s record.“I’ve seen him a few times in Australia. Some spells are different – on a flat deck too.”Interestingly, statistics show that Bumrah does excel in the longest format of the format. The Indian pacer has recorded eight or more wickets in eight Test matches, six of which came during the overseas tours of England, South Africa and Australia. On three of those occasions, his performance also earned him the Man of the Match award.