Mahela Jayawardene shares a major update on Jasprit Bumrah’s recovery, hinting at his possible return for IPL. Find out when the star bowler may be back in action!
New Delhi: Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene provided a positive update on Jasprit Bumrah‘s recovery, stating the fast bowler is progressing well. However, a specific return date for Bumrah’s IPL 2025 participation remains undetermined. Jasprit Bumrah is recovering from a lower back injury at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The injury, sustained during the second innings of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, sidelined him from bowling and subsequently caused him to miss the Champions Trophy.
Jayawardene reported that Bumrah is progressing well through his rehabilitation program, although the National Cricket Academy has not yet provided a timetable for his return.
A 31-year-old player is anticipated to join the Mumbai team in April. Meanwhile, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar are currently handling the pace bowling duties. Additionally, Satyanarayana Raju made his debut in the season opener against Chennai Super Kings, filling in for the absent captain, Hardik Pandya.
Following a one-match suspension for a slow over-rate in the previous season, Hardik Pandya’s return to the field has prompted Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene to anticipate a more welcoming reception from fans than the hostility Pandya faced last year after being named captain instead of Rohit Sharma.
Jayawardene stated that the incident was simply a matter of passionate cricket fandom, and he believes everyone involved has moved past it. Following a one-match suspension for a slow over-rate in the previous season, Hardik Pandya’s return to the field is anticipated. Jayawardene believes Mumbai supporters should disregard the previous season’s negative reaction to Pandya’s captaincy appointment over Rohit Sharma.
Hardik Pandya returns to Ahmedabad, where he first faced boos after moving from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians. Last season, he endured jeers across IPL venues, with MI finishing at the bottom. However, Pandya has since played crucial roles in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy wins. As MI face GT at Narendra Modi Stadium, coach Mahela Jayawardene believes fans may have moved on. Despite this, Pandya’s focus remains on improving MI’s sluggish starts, especially against a strong GT side that nearly pulled off the second-highest chase in IPL history against Punjab Kings recently.
