Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond has sounded the alarm for both the Mumbai Indians and the Indian cricket team, cautioning them against overburdening Jasprit Bumrah. While the premier pacer was exceptional during India’s grueling five-Test series in Australia, Bond believes a similar workload in England could push him to the brink of a serious injury.
Bumrah, who hasn’t played competitive cricket in two months, remains on the path to recovery. Though he is expected to return for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, no official timeline has been set. Given his history with a lower back injury that sidelined him for nearly a year, managing his workload will be crucial.
“I don’t think so. He had the [2023] surgery, but he played that entire [Australia] Test series and performed unbelievably. But at the end of the day, he just bowled too much over one month,” Shane Bond said on ESPNCricinfo.
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“He hasn’t cracked yet, he hasn’t got a fracture, but he’s on the borderline of one. If India repeats the same approach in a five-Test series in England, they’re likely to get the same result,” he added.
Bumrah has started bowling in NCA. Don’t know when he will get the clearance but feeling better after watching this clip. pic.twitter.com/FTpnuVoJoW
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) March 30, 2025
Despite the concerns, there’s positive news for Mumbai Indians. Bumrah has resumed bowling in the nets, with a video of his session going viral on March 30. The sight of the speedster back in action has given fans and MI management a reason to be optimistic.
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Mumbai’s head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, also provided an update, acknowledging that missing Bumrah at the start of the season has impacted the team’s performance. With MI yet to secure a win in IPL 2025, his return could be the boost they desperately need. However, managing his fitness remains paramount to avoid another long-term setback.
