Mumbai Indians have suffered a massive blow as their star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2023 season with a back injury.
The 29-year-old pacer has been undergoing rehabilitation for a long time to cure a stress reaction in the lower back. He was expected to be fully fit by now, but he hasn't recovered yet. The BCCI doesn't want to risk his chances of becoming fully fit for the World Test Championship final in June and the ODI World Cup later on.
As per reports, Bumrah was expected to be available for the second half of IPL 2023. He was supposed to feature in the DY Patil T20 Cup for Reliance 1. But a decision to postpone his comeback was taken owing to a recurring niggle.
The wait has been frustrating for Bumrah and his fans, who last featured for India in a T20I against Australia on September 25. He was undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA after that, and bowled in the nets by mid-December. But he is taking a break now as medical experts prepare the best course of action to plan his way to full recovery.
It has also been learnt that Bumrah has been suggested for surgery as the period of recovery has been too long. But the pacer isn't keen on it as it isn't compulsory surgery. If he does decide to undergo surgery, it will take at least another three months for him to recover, which will also rule him out of the World Cup in October-November.
Bumrah is very significant to India's plans for both the WTC Final and ODI World Cup. He has claimed 128 Test wickets so far at an excellent average of 21.99. In ODIs, Bumrah has 121 wickets to his name at 24.30 runs a piece.