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Mumbai Indians’ ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s much-anticipated return to IPL 2025 has been delayed further. As per reports, Bumrah, who has been recovering from a back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, is still undergoing rehabilitation and is yet to receive clearance from the BCCI medical team.
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Bumrah’s Road to Recovery
Bumrah suffered his latest setback during the second day of the last Test in Sydney on January 4. Following this, he was ruled out of the Champions Trophy, which India went on to win last month. This marks the first back-related concern for the speedster since undergoing surgery in March 2023.
Reports from ESPNCricinfo suggest that the star pacer has been increasing his bowling workload at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He is expected to take the final round of fitness tests soon, which will determine his return to competitive cricket.
MI to Miss Bumrah for Crucial Games
With his fitness assessment still pending, Bumrah is confirmed to miss MI’s upcoming clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 5. Additionally, he is uncertain for MI’s home fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 7.
Bumrah’s absence has left a significant void in MI’s pace attack, leading to the introduction of young bowlers like Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh Puthur, and Ashwani Kumar. The experienced duo of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar has been spearheading the bowling attack alongside skipper Hardik Pandya, who provides an additional seam option.
Long-Term Focus on England Series
Bumrah’s cautious approach to his return stems from his focus on India’s upcoming five-match Test series in England, starting June 28. Given the importance of maintaining his fitness for the red-ball format, he is prioritizing complete recovery over a rushed comeback in the IPL.
Bumrah’s IPL Legacy with MI
Having played all of his IPL cricket for MI since his debut in 2013, Bumrah has been one of the franchise’s biggest match-winners. In 133 matches, he has scalped 165 wickets, missing just one IPL season in 2023 due to injury.
As MI navigates a challenging IPL 2025 campaign with one win and two losses so far, the team will be eager to have their pace spearhead back in action soon. However, his return hinges on his final fitness clearance, and MI fans will have to wait a little longer to see their star bowler back in action.
