As of March 31, 2025, the fitness status of Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah remains a concern for both the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the national team.
Despite showing signs of recovery by resuming bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Bumrah has yet to receive the necessary fitness clearance from medical staff, which means he is likely to be sidelined for another two weeks.
Bumrah has been recovering from a lower back injury sustained during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in January 2025.
His absence has been felt keenly by MI, who have started their IPL 2025 campaign with two consecutive losses.
The team had hoped that Bumrah would be fit in time for the tournament, but he was ultimately replaced in the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by Harshit Rana.
Recent updates from MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene indicate that while Bumrah has made good progress in his rehabilitation, there is no definitive timeline for his return.
Jayawardene mentioned that Bumrah is currently being monitored by the BCCI medical team and is gradually increasing his workload.
However, he emphasized that rushing Bumrah back into action is not an option due to the nature of his injury.
A BCCI official provided further insight, stating, “He is recovering well. For Bumrah, you can never set a timeline for his return. He is slowly building up the workload. That puts him on track to return in maybe around two weeks.”
This suggests that while there is optimism regarding his recovery, any return will depend on thorough assessments by medical professionals.
Bumrah’s last competitive appearance was during the fifth Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where he bowled only in the first innings due to discomfort.
His absence from MI’s lineup not only affects their bowling attack but also raises concerns about India’s preparations as they gear up for their next cycle in the World Test Championship (WTC) starting June 20, 2025.
The Indian team will be looking to Bumrah’s experience and skill as they aim for their first Test series win in England since 2007.
Before his injury, Bumrah had an outstanding 2024 season where he played a pivotal role in India’s victory at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and was named both ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year after taking 32 wickets during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
As MI prepares for upcoming matches against teams like Kolkata Knight Riders on March 31 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 4, they will have to strategize without their star pacer.
The hope remains that Bumrah can regain full fitness soon and rejoin MI’s squad, providing a much-needed boost as they seek to turn around their fortunes in IPL 2025.
