Jasprit Bumrah has returned to the NCA in Bengaluru for a fitness test to get clearance for playing in IPL 2025 with Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah has reportedly returned to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to seek clearance for IPL 2025. This marks his second visit in over a week, with his availability for the tournament depending on the outcome. He has already been ruled out of the initial matches due to a persistent back injury.
According to reports from Cricbuzz, during his previous assessment, Bumrah experienced discomfort while bowling, prompting NCA officials to prescribe additional rehabilitation exercises. His progress has improved, and optimism surrounds his potential return. If he bowls without pain during this visit, he may receive clearance to join Mumbai Indians.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged the challenge of missing Bumrah but sees it as an opportunity for other players to step up. The team may experiment with different bowling combinations in the early phase of the tournament.
“[Bumrah] has just started his progress. We have to wait and see what their feedback is on him. At the moment, everything is going well. But, obviously, it is on a day-to-day basis. He is in good spirits. Not having him is a challenge. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and he has been a fantastic pro for us for many years,” Jayawardene said in a press-conference.
“We’ll have to wait or find an opportunity for someone else to step up. That’s how I see it. It gives us an element of trying a few things and seeing how things work. The early part of the season allows us to do that,” he added.
However, Mumbai Indians have a strong pace attack for IPL 2025 despite Jasprit Bumrah’s uncertain availability. Their frontline options include Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, and Corbin Bosch, who replaced the injured Lizaad Williams. Captain Hardik Pandya adds all-round depth, while uncapped bowlers Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju, and Raj Angad Bawa provide additional choices.
Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign against Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk on Sunday.
MI IPL 2025 squad
Hardik Pandya (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Shrijith Krishnan, Raj Angad Bawa, Venkat Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Vignesh Puthhur, Suryakumar Yadav
Injury replacements: Allah Ghazanfar and Lizaad Williams were replaced by Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Corbin Bosch.
