New Delhi [India], May 25 (ANI): Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers acknowledged that Mumbai Indians (MI) ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah is enduring a difficult Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, calling it possibly the worst of his career statistically.

However, he strongly backed Bumrah's quality and reputation, insisting that one poor phase does not diminish his greatness. De Villiers said Bumrah remains the best bowler in the world across formats and expressed complete confidence that the star pacer will bounce back soon, as class and experience eventually shine through.

Bumrah endured one of the toughest seasons of his T20 career in IPL 2026. The Mumbai Indians pacer was rested for the team's final league game against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, finishing the season with just four wickets in 13 matches.

'Bumrah's worst IPL of his life. I think his average is over 100 this year. I mean, there are lots of reasons for that, and I still think he's the greatest bowler right now in all formats around the world. So that hasn't changed. One bad performance doesn't take the class out of a player. He'll be back. There's no doubt about it,' AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

Bumrah finished with a bowling average of 102.50, the highest ever recorded by a bowler in T20 history among those who delivered 40 or more overs in a single tournament.

The disappointing campaign came as a major surprise, considering Bumrah entered the IPL on the back of a stellar ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign, where he played a pivotal role in the India national cricket team lifting the title.

Bumrah has also been rested for India's upcoming home series against the Afghanistan cricket team, with the team management aiming to ensure he returns fully fit ahead of a demanding international calendar later this year. (ANI)