Cricket
Bumrah vs Shaheen Afridi: Who is the Better T20 Bowler?
India vs Pakistan is undoubtedly one of the greatest cricket rivalries. Fuelled by political tensions, there is inevitably drama on the sporting stage whenever they face off. Whether it is T20s, ODIs, or Tests, such clashes are often framed as a battle between their premier fast bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi are India and Pakistan’s main assets respectively, and they have often proved to be the difference makers with the ball at hand. The guile and speed in which they launch deliveries in T20s has been a frightening prospect for batsmen, and they are two of the best modern T20 fast bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah /Getty Images
But who is the better bowler – Bumrah or Shaheen? SportsBoom has provided a measured statistical comparison, blending expert opinions with raw data to reach a concrete conclusion on this intriguing cricket debate.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate These Premier T20 Fast Bowlers
Our rigorous evaluation combined a statistical analysis of their T20 International careers with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking. Fusing these two elements imbued the ‘SB Market Index’, a well-rounded custom-built model where the results were accurate and devoid of bias.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measures how prominently each bowler is featured in discussions of the “best T20 fast bowlers in the world”.
| Source Name | Jasprit Bumrah | Shaheen Afridi |
| ICC Official Player Rankings (current/historical high) | 1 | 1 |
| ESPNcricinfo – T20XI of the Year (recent editions) | 1 | 1 |
| Wisden – “Modern T20 Greats” feature | 1 | 1 |
| Sky Sports Cricket – “Best New Ball Bowlers in T20” | 1 | 1 |
| Cricbuzz – “Analyzing T20’s Most Impactful Bowlers” | 1 | 1 |
| The Cricketer – “Top 50 T20 Players” list | 1 | 1 |
| Sportskeeda – “Ranking the World’s Best T20 Pacers” | 1 | 1 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – “Bumrah vs Shaheen” Fan Polls | 1 | 1 |
| Cricket Monthly – Death Bowling Analysis | 1 | 0 |
| talkSPORT – “Most Feared T20 Bowlers” countdown | 1 | 1 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 9 |
SB Score
| Player | Inns | Wickets | Bowl Avg | Economy | Strike Rate | SB Score |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 69 | 89 | 17.74 | 6.27 | 16.9 | 1.000 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 81 | 104 | 22.25 | 7.88 | 16.9 | 0.800 |
This score is calculated based on three key T20I career bowling metrics: Bowling Average (35% weightage), Economy Rate (35% weightage), and Strike Rate (30% weightage).
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Jasprit Bumrah | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | Shaheen Afridi | 0.800 | 9 | 7.360 |
Jasprit Bumrah: The Master of Control and Deception
Often cited as one of the best death bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah’s T20 stats underline his dexterity and agility as a paceman, and he has made top batsmen look very ordinary. Named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2024 for his performances across all formats, including his superlative displays in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, Bumrah has made his country a dominant force in the Asia Cup.
A superior bowling average combined with a phenomenal economy is the stuff of dreams for T20 bowlers. Bumrah’s exceptional ‘SB Score’ and perfect ‘Industry Insights’ rating cemented top spot in our rankings.
Shaheen Afridi: The Explosive New Ball Threat
Shaheen Afridi’s T20 record would suggest he is catching up on the top 10 best Pakistani bowlers of all time, but he has laid a strong claim to be considered one of the finest swing bowlers in the world.
His innate consistency to hit line and length and sniff out wickets has made Afridi formidable. Well, he is one of the most feared new ball bowlers in the T20 arena, and that has been underscored by his bowling average and his identical strike rate to Bumrah. Afridi’s strong ‘SB Score’ and near-perfect ‘Industry Insight’ rating were telling signs of the impact he has had in the game’s shortest format.
The Defining Difference: Economy and Average
While Shaheen Afridi’s strike rate mirrors that of Jasprit Bumrah, bowling economy and average were the key yardsticks for determining the performances of the top T20 bowlers.
Both are fundamental for assessing the frequency with which bowlers pick up wickets and runs conceded off an over, and they were a formative part of our T20 bowling comparison. These stats reflected the efficiency of both bowlers, and based on our findings, Bumrah’s significantly lower economy rate and bowling average tilted things in his favour, giving him a stronger ‘SB Score’
Conclusion on a Rivalry for the Ages
The India vs Pakistan rivalry is naturally very feisty, and it has become one of the most compelling battlegrounds in modern cricket. You can’t take your eyes off it for a moment, and the touchpaper has been lit by the devastating bowling displays exhibited by the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi.
Having put Bumrah vs Afridi’s T20 stats under the microscope, our comprehensive model crowned Bumrah as the premier bowler based on the admiration he received from the experts and his bowling figures were superior. Despite his more unorthodox action, Bumrah arguably has more variation in his artillery which includes dishing up lethal yorkers, and he has fast become the go-to man in pressure cooker moments for India.
Afridi, however, has posted some stellar numbers during the course of his career, and it would therefore be remiss to diminish his achievements. Nevertheless, Bumrah has overtaken Afridi, and his calm temperament means he has played an instrumental role in defining the contours of the India vs Pakistan rivalry. There is no doubting Bumrah’s skill and ability to rise to the occasion mean he will continue to ruffle a few more feathers in contests between these two countries moving forward.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.