Will Jacks came up with a vital spell against SRH.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Will Jacks may have emerged as an Indian Premier League superstar after his blockbuster 41-ball unbeaten 100 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024 edition.
Cut to 2025, and Jacks has proven to be more than a handy off-spinner for his new IPL outfit.
In a format where the role of a offie is increasingly getting redundant, Jacks has emerged as Mumbai Indians’ reliable spin option.
And his all-round display — two for 14 off three overs and 36 off 26 balls — meant he walked away with the Player-of-the-Match award against
Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday night.
Jacks not only contained the ferocious left-handed trio of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Ishan Kishan — dismissing the last two — but
also displayed his prowess on a sticky surface by bowling five dot balls to Heinrich Klaasen, arguably the best batter against spin in limited-overs cricket.
“If you bowl tentatively to people like that, it’s only going to end one way. Originally, I thought I was going to bowl in the PowerPlay. I didn’t, so I had a bit more protection,” Jacks said after the match.
“I knew I could bowl with confidence and use my skills: I am a tall bowler, I get good turn and bounce, so that’s what I was trying to do.”
Jacks’ impressive performance with the ball rubbed on to his batting as he made a vital contribution after Rohit Sharma got MI off to a flier. If he carries on in the same vein, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co. will have a task at hand in Sunday’s marquee clash.
Published – April 18, 2025 06:21 pm IST