Jasprit Bumrah vs Mitchell Starc - comparing their stats after 47 IPL matches

Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mitchell Starc reminded fans of his match-winning abilities with incredible death bowling in the side's Super Over win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 16. The Aussie legend did the unthinkable by defending nine runs off the final over without conceding a boundary and restricting RR to just eight.

Starc took center stage in the following Super Over, giving away only 11 runs before the DC batters knocked off the target in four deliveries. Renowned for his ability to come up big in crunch matches and moments, Starc proved why he is arguably the world's best all-format pacer.

Yet, the word 'arguably' only comes into the equation because of the presence of Jasprit Bumrah - someone who has recently taken over the mantle as the best bowler in the world across formats.

Despite being a world-beater for over a decade, Starc's heroics last night came in only his 47th IPL outing. After back-to-back seasons with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2014 and 2015 to start his IPL career, the veteran pacer did not partake in the league until last season.

Starc's return was sensational as he helped the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinch a third IPL title last year. Meanwhile, Bumrah has been with the Mumbai Indians (MI) throughout his IPL career, which began in 2013.

While he has slowly established himself as the best white-ball bowler in the world, how did he fare at the same stage as Starc in his IPL career (47 matches)? Despite starting their IPL careers only one season apart, the champion Indian pacer played his 47th game in the IPL 2017 final, which MI won.

Who between Starc and Bumrah boasted better bowling numbers after 47 IPL games? Let us find out.

Counting Numbers

Before deep-diving into the more impactful numbers, let us look at the overall numbers of Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah after 47 IPL matches. Both pacers have always played similar roles for their teams - bowling in the powerplay and the death.

While Starc often bowls more in the powerplay compared to Bumrah, the MI pacer has more overs under his belt in the middle overs.

Here is how the wickets tally and milestone spells look for the pace-bowling duo:

Jasprit Bumrah vs Mitchell Starc - Overall Numbers

The above table makes it clear that Starc has the edge over Bumrah in counting stats - Wickets and four/five-wicket hauls. However, it is noteworthy that the Aussie pacer's 47 IPL games are spread over a decade, giving him an 'experience' advantage over Bumrah, who played his first 47 IPL matches as a youngster.

Nevertheless, purely on numbers, Starc takes the contest over Bumrah in the category of quantitative stats.

Edge: Mitchell Starc

Impact Numbers

Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc are often called 'Impact bowlers' for their ability to win games from nowhere for their sides. A look at more qualitative numbers like bowling average, economy, and the same numbers in team victories should reveal more about who fared better after 47 IPL games.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Mitchell Starc - Impact Numbers

Things get slightly tricky on impact number comparisons between Bumrah and Starc. While the former is more economical overall and in team wins, the latter possessed better wicket-taking ability after their first 47 IPL outings.

Thus, the more impactful bowler between the two hinges on what a team needs at any point - containment or striking.

Edge: Tie

Big Match Performances

The deal breaker between Bumrah and Starc could hinge on a word the duo has been associated with often in recent times - 'Clutch'. Who delivered better performances in the big playoff and final games of the IPL between the two at the 47-game mark?

Bumrah had already been part of three title runs in his first 47 IPL matches, while Starc won his lone title with KKR last year.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Mitchell Starc - Clutch Numbers

The duo incidentally have four knockout games each in their first 47 IPL appearances, making the comparison straightforward. While Bumrah's average of 21.20 and economy of 7.22 are highly impressive, they pale compared to Starc's phenomenal 13.85 and 6.46 splits.

Edge: Mitchell Starc

Conclusion

The above numbers show why Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc are two of the most impactful bowlers in the IPL. While their impact numbers in isolation are similar, the Aussie pacer has his Indian counterpart beat in the other categories to emerge victorious in the battle after 47 games.

Winner: Mitchell Starc