IPL 2025: When will injured Jasprit Bumrah be fit to play for Mumbai Indians? Expected comeback REVEALED

Mumbai Indians (MI) will have to begin their IPL 2025 campaign without their ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is still recovering from a back injury sustained in January. According to ESPNCricinfo, Bumrah is expected to join the squad by early April, subject to clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) medical team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Bumrah, who suffered a stress-related back injury during the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney on January 4, has been out of action since then. As a result, he missed India's successful Champions Trophy campaign earlier this month. This marks the first time Bumrah has faced back issues since undergoing surgery in March 2023.

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While announcing the squad for the Champions Trophy in January, India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar had mentioned that the BCCI medical team had advised Bumrah to offload for at least five weeks following his injury in Sydney. Despite being named in India’s provisional squad for the Champions Trophy, further scans conducted in Bengaluru in early February showed continued discomfort, leading to his exclusion from the final squad.

Although it remains uncertain how many matches Bumrah will miss, MI’s first two fixtures in IPL 2025 are scheduled away from home. They will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai on March 23, followed by Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 29. Their first home game will be against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31, before taking on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on April 4 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home on April 7.

Bumrah’s distinctive bowling action has made him susceptible to back injuries, prompting BCCI’s medical staff and selectors to carefully manage his workload. Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, who previously worked with Bumrah as MI’s bowling coach, recently cautioned that another injury in the same area where Bumrah had undergone surgery could be a "career-ender."

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Bond, who himself endured chronic back issues during his playing career, emphasized the risk for fast bowlers transitioning too quickly between T20 and Test cricket. With India set to play a five-Test series in England starting June, just a month after the IPL ends on May 25, managing Bumrah’s recovery and workload will be crucial for both MI and the Indian team.