New Delhi: India’s cricket fans are celebrating the national team’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph—a triumph gained without the services of top quick bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Having a lower back strain following the Test series against Australia, Bumrah missed the competition. Though his absence is felt, the team’s triumph has relieved cricket fans, who now eagerly await to see their top player back on the pitch.
But ex-Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond has heightened concerns about Bumrah’s injury. Bond cautioned that Bumrah’s career could potentially end if his current injury coincides with his previous stress fracture. Previously having surgery for a back stress fracture, Bumrah missed almost a year of the 2022 T20 World Cup. With a triumphant comeback, he went back to the pitch, greatly helping India to win the 2023 T20 World Cup.
Right now at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Bumrah is healing. Despite his unlikely inclusion in the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL), his medical update remains positive. He is likely to return competitively by the first week of April, based on signs that he would report for the Mumbai Indians camp.
For Mumbai Indians, the loss of Bumrah from the first few IPL 2025 games is a big setback. This loss is significant not only for the IPL but also for India’s upcoming Test series against England, where he could potentially be considered for captaincy.