Indian cricket fans will be disappointed to hear that Jasprit Bumrah’s return from injury could take longer than expected. The star pacer continues to struggle with his recovery and is likely to miss both the Indian Premier League 2023, set to begin on March 31, as well as the World Test Championship final in June.
Bumrah has been out of action for almost five months, and his return has been delayed multiple times. Although there was hope that he might return for the last two Tests in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 or the ODIs against Australia, the player’s name was missing from the squad sheet, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to provide an official update.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Bumrah is having trouble with his recovery and is not feeling comfortable. The 29-year-old last played for India during the home series against Australia in September 2022, where he suffered a back injury that was initially thought to be a minor setback. However, he went on to miss the 2022 T20 World Cup, and the National Cricket Academy (NCA) is yet to clear him for his return.
The same report suggests that the NCA is not in a hurry to rush the player into action, and the BCCI and NCA are planning for Bumrah’s return to international cricket before the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
Recent reports indicate that Bumrah underwent match-simulation workloads at the NCA in Bengaluru, sparking discussions about his potential return before the IPL 2023. If Bumrah misses the IPL, it will be a significant loss for the Mumbai Indians, who finished in last position in IPL 2022. However, the team’s spirits will be lifted by the return of another star pacer, Jofra Archer, who missed the entire last season due to injury.
India is in contention for the World Test Championship 2021-23 final and is likely to participate in the final, set to take place at The Oval from June 7. Although India has performed well in Bumrah’s absence in red-ball cricket lately, his return would have undoubtedly boosted the team’s chances of winning the championship.
