Former South Africa batting great Hashim Amla has named India’s pace ace Jasprit Bumrah as the most challenging bowler he faced during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, the 42-year-old described Bumrah as “the most skilful all-format bowler,” whose action and variations made him a nightmare for batters. Amla, who played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, faced Bumrah when the Indian quick was still establishing himself at Mumbai Indians.

“Obviously Bumrah. He’s an amazing bowler… somebody who challenged me the most. To just watch him bowl in itself is beautiful,” Amla said. In his 16 IPL innings, the elegant right-hander amassed 577 runs at an average of 44.28 and a strike rate of 141.76, numbers that underline his ability to dominate most attacks. Yet Bumrah’s unorthodox release, searing yorkers, and clever changes of pace consistently tested Amla’s technique during their match-ups.

Amla also revealed he would choose Mumbai Indians or Chennai Super Kings if given another IPL opportunity. Having worked as a batting coach for MI Cape Town in the SA20, he praised Mumbai’s professional setup and called both MI and CSK “fantastic organisations” that explain their status as the league’s two most successful franchises with five titles each.

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The stylish accumulator retired from all cricket in 2023 after a glittering career that yielded 34,104 professional runs, including 9,282 in Tests, where he remains South Africa’s only triple-centurion. Second only to Jacques Kallis on his country’s all-time run charts, Amla’s endorsement adds to the growing global acclaim for Bumrah, widely regarded as the world’s premier fast bowler across formats.

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