Jasprit Bumrah fans will have to hang tight a little longer before seeing him back on the cricket field. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is taking extra care with Bumrah because there are concerns he could end up with a serious stress fracture in his back. This all started back in January during the Sydney Test when he tweaked his lower back, and since then, he hasn’t played a match.
He has been throwing some balls at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence in Bengaluru recently, but he’s not at 100% just yet. The initial plan was for him to link up with his IPL team, the Mumbai Indians, around April 1st, but now it looks like there’s no clear time frame for his return.
A BCCI source was quoted by The Times of India, saying, “Bumrah’s injury is a bit more serious. The medical team is really cautious about making sure he won’t end up with a stress fracture. He’s being careful himself too.” Right now, even though Bumrah is technically fit, the board wants to be sure to slowly ramp up his activity to avoid any setbacks.
The Mumbai Indians, who have had a rough start to their IPL season with two losses, must still wait for their star bowler. They did manage to turn things around with a win against the Kolkata Knight Riders recently, but Bumrah’s absence is definitely felt.
On top of that, Bumrah isn’t the only one dealing with injury woes; right-arm pacer Akash Deep is also sidelined with a back issue. According to the source, both players are trying to get back into form but they need more time. “He’s bowling at the CoE, but it might take longer for him to hit full stride. No definite timeline right now, but fingers crossed he’s back by mid-April. Akash Deep is hoping to return by April 10,” the source mentioned.
Shane Bond, the former New Zealand fast bowler, recently weighed in on the situation too. He’s warned India not to push Bumrah too hard, as he believes the bowler is close to getting injured again. “He had the surgery in 2023, played that whole Test series in Australia, and did incredibly well. But at some point, he just ended up bowling way too much over a month. He hasn’t cracked yet, but he’s teetering on the edge of a fracture, Bond told ESPNCricinfo.
So, cricket lovers will just have to keep their hopes up for Bumrah’s steady recovery, while the team figures out how best to manage his comeback. It’s all about balance right now, as they keenly wait for him to get back into the game.
