Mumbai Indians’ leading pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the opening matches of IPL 2025 as he continues his recovery from a lower back injury. The fast bowler has been out of action since January after suffering the injury during the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney. He did not bowl in the second innings of that match, which saw Australia clinch the series 3-1.
Bumrah, who was named Player of the Series in Australia after taking 32 wickets, was initially included in India’s provisional squad for the Champions Trophy but was later ruled out. Having undergone back surgery in 2023, he is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
As reported by ESPNCricinfo on Friday, Bumrah is expected to join the Mumbai Indians squad by early April, subject to clearance from the BCCI CoE medical team. At the same time, the report added, “It could not be confirmed exactly how many matches Bumrah would miss and if there was a definite date of return.”
Mumbai Indians will start their IPL 2025 campaign with two away games—against Chennai Super Kings on March 23 in Chennai and Gujarat Titans on March 29 in Ahmedabad. Their first home fixture at Wankhede Stadium is scheduled for March 31 against Kolkata Knight Riders. This will be followed by an away match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 4, before they return home to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 7.
With Bumrah’s participation uncertain, Mumbai Indians will rely on their other fast-bowling options, which include Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Corbin Bosch, Arjun Tendulkar, Satyanarayana Raju, and Ashwani Kumar. Additionally, all-rounders such as captain Hardik Pandya and Raj Angad Bawa will play a crucial role in the bowling attack.
