Not having Bumrah at the start of IPL 2025 is a challenge: Mahela Jayawardene

The head coach of Mumbai Indians(MI) Mahela Jayawardene has expressed concerns regarding the franchise's star pacer Jasprit Bumrah's absence from the initial games in IPL 2025. Bumrah has played all his IPL matches with Mumbai Indians franchise starting in 2013. 

At a press conference held in Mumbai on Wednesday, Jayawardene expressed that he hopes that the ace India pacer joins the team soon. He further added that the fast bowler 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," Jayawardene said. "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.

"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."

Jasprit Bumrah has so far picked up 165 wickets in 133 matches over the years since he started playing for MI in 2013. The only IPL season he has missed since he started playing was in 2023 when he had a back injury.

The MI squad consists of Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley and Lizaad Williams' replacement Corbin Bosch along with the all rounder Hardik Pandya, uncapped Ashwani Kumar, Satyanarayana Raju, Arjun Tendulkar and Raj Angad Bawa. Bumrah's absence will lead to the management deciding MI's bowling lineup as Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar are powerplay bowlers.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya confirms Mumbai Indians stand-in captain in his absence

According to reports, Bumrah is yet to recover from his stress-related back injury that has kept him out of action since January and he could join the MI squad in April. He injured his back on the second day of the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney on January 4. Bumrah was then ruled out of the Champions Trophy, which India won last month. This is the first time Bumrah has fallen ill with a back injury since his March 2023 surgery.

MI's initial two IPL 2025 matches are away. They begin their campaign in Chennai against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23 and subsequently against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 29. MI's first home game is two days later, as they welcome Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31. They have two matches in the first week of April: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on April 4 and at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 7.