Recuperating from a back injury, India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from the initial stages of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season will be a challenge for the Mumbai Indians, the franchise’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged on Wednesday while adding that it will present an opportunity for someone else to step up even as the five-time champions gear up to open their campaign without regular skipper Hardik Pandya.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Jayawardene said that Bumrah “is in good spirits” as he recovers at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru.
[Bumrah] has just started his progress. We have to wait and see what their [BCCI medical team] feedback is on him. At the moment, everything is going well. But, obviously, it is on a day-to-day basis. He is in good spirits. Not having him is a challenge. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and he has been a fantastic pro for us for many years,” Jayawardene said.
“We’ll have to wait or find an opportunity for someone else to step up. That’s how I see it. It gives us an element of trying a few things and see how things work. The early part of the season allows us to do that.”
Bumrah, who has been at the franchise since the start of his career in 2013, picking up 165 wickets in 133 matches over the years, has rose from a rookie pacer to becoming one of the fiercest fast bowlers in world cricket. However, the stress-related back injury that he picked during the second innings of the Sydney Test against Australia early January has left him in the sidelines, and he is yet to recover fully from it, jeopardising his participation in IPL 2025, atleast for the early part of the season.
While announcing the Champions Trophy squad in January, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said that Bumrah had been asked by the BCCI medical team to offload for at least five weeks. Since the Champions Trophy only started on February 19, Bumrah had been included in India’s provisional squad. He travelled to Bengaluru for fresh scans in early February, but continued to feel discomfort and was not named in the final squad.
In the absence of Bumrah, the MI squad has a number of experienced pacers in Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley and Corbin Bosch (replacement for Lizaad Williams), along with captain Pandya, the allrounder, and the uncapped Ashwani Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju, Arjun Tendulkar and Raj Angad Bawa.
However, with Pandya also set to miss Mumbai Indians’ opening game due to an one-match ban he picked during his side’s final IPL 2024 game, the franchise will have to work out on a different strategy.
SKY to lead MI in their IPL 2025 opener
In Pandya’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav has been assigned the captaincy duties for MI’s opening match against Chennai Super Kings. The MI side will open their campaign with two away games, with the first in Chennai on March 23, before taking on Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on March 29. MI’s first home match is two days later, when they host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31.
Hardik was handed a one-match ban along with a fine of Rs 30 lakh for MI’s slow over-rate in their last league game of IPL 2024, against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). MI had finished last in IPL 2024 after winning only four out of 14 games.
“We have been officially communicated that he [Hardik] has to miss [the first game],” Jayawardene said on Wednesday, while confirming Suryakumar as the captain for IPL’s El Classico against CSK.
Referring to the ban, Hardik said the decision was out of his hands, and it was unfortunate.
“That is out of my control. Last year what occurred is part of the sport. We bowled the last over one-and-a-half or two minutes late. At that point I didn’t know the consequences. It is unfortunate, but the rules say it. I will have to go with the process. Next season, if they continue or not continue [with this rule], I think that is on the higher authorities. They can definitely see what best can be done,” Hardik said while throwing his back at Suryakumar’s leadership.
“Surya, obviously, leads India [in T20Is] as well. When I’m not there, he is the ideal choice in this format,” he said.
Hardik will return to lead the MI side for their second game in Ahmedabad.