Jasprit Bumrah in Doubt for IPL 2025
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s star fast bowler, might not play in the first few matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He is recovering from a lower back injury and is currently working on getting better at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Right now, the plan is for him to join the Mumbai Indians (MI) team sometime in April.
Why is Jasprit Bumrah missing the start of the IPL 2025?
Bumrah had to sit out of the recent Champions Trophy because of his back problem. He has started bowling again, but he is not yet bowling at full speed. “His medical reports are fine. He has begun bowling at the CoE. However, it looks like he won’t be able to bowl at his best at the beginning of the IPL,” said a source from the BCCI. “Right now, it seems like the first week of April is when he might be ready to play high-level cricket again.”
Because of this, Jasprit Bumrah will probably miss the first three or four games for MI. The medical team is carefully increasing how much he bowls. They want to make sure he can bowl without any pain for a few days before they clear him to play. Also, another fast bowler, Mayank Yadav from Lucknow Super Giants, is also expected to join the IPL in April.
More importantly, India has a tough five-match Test series against England right after the IPL. The main goal is to have Bumrah fit and ready for as many of those Test matches as possible. Besides, there is a lot of talk about who will be the Test captain. With Rohit Sharma’s future uncertain, Bumrah is being considered as a possible captain, if the selectors do not choose a younger player. However, his fitness remains a major concern.
The selectors are also worried about Mohammed Shami’s fitness. Both Bumrah and Shami have had injury problems in the past. Therefore, the selectors do not want to depend only on these two bowlers for the entire England tour. “It is important to see how Shami and Bumrah handle the long IPL,” sources said. “If the selectors can get both of them to play together in two or three Tests, that would be ideal. The team management will also be careful not to push them to play all the Tests together. They don’t want either of them to get injured during a Test, like what happened with Bumrah in Sydney.”
Mohammed Siraj is likely to keep his place in the Test team. Harshit Rana and Akash Deep will have to perform well to prove they deserve a spot. Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh are also in the running. The India ‘A’ tour before the England Tests will be very important for these players.
Jasprit Bumrah’s return is being handled carefully. The focus is on making sure he is healthy for the crucial England Test series. While his absence at the start of the IPL 2025 is a setback for Mumbai Indians, the national team’s needs are taking priority.
