Mumbai Indians’ Star Pacer Jasprit Bumrah to Miss CSK Match and Two More Due to Injury
Jasprit Bumrah will miss first three matches of Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai Indians (MI) will start their IPL 2025 season without their top fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. He is still recovering from a back injury he got in January. Bumrah has been taking treatment at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. If he gets medical clearance, he is expected to return in early April.
MI has three matches in March, and Bumrah is likely to miss all of them, according to ESPNcricinfo. This could be a big challenge for the team in the early part of the tournament.
How Bumrah Got Injured
Bumrah got a back injury on January 4 during the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney. Because of this, he missed the Champions Trophy, which India won earlier this month. This is the first time his back problem has returned since he had surgery in March 2023.
When India’s squad for the Champions Trophy was announced in January, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Bumrah needed to rest for at least five weeks. He was first named in India’s squad, but new scans in February showed he was still in pain. So, he could not play in the tournament.
Matches Bumrah Might Miss
Bumrah’s return date is still not confirmed. Mumbai Indians’ first two matches are away games:
- March 23: vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai
- March 29: vs Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad
MI’s first home game is against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31. After that, they play:
- April 4: vs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow
- April 7: vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Mumbai
It is still unknown if he will be fit for any of these matches.
Concerns About Bumrah’s Fitness
Bumrah’s unusual bowling action makes him prone to back injuries. The BCCI’s medical team is carefully managing his workload.
Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, who was Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach, is worried about Bumrah’s injury. Bond had similar back problems in his career and warned that another serious injury could end Bumrah’s career.
Bond also said that shifting quickly from T20 cricket to Test matches is risky. India will tour England for a five-Test series in June, just one month after the IPL ends on May 25. Bumrah’s fitness will be a major concern for the Indian team.
