Jasprit Bumrah's absence was notably felt in the Mumbai Indians' lineup as they commenced their IPL 2025 season against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The Indian fast bowler is still recovering from a stress-related back injury that has sidelined him since January. This injury occurred on the second day of the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test and has also prevented him from participating in the Champions Trophy. This marks the first instance of Bumrah experiencing a back injury following his surgery in March 2023.

In January, when Ajit Agarkar announced the squad for the Champions Trophy, he indicated that the BCCI medical team had advised Bumrah to rest for a minimum of five weeks to facilitate his recovery.

MI's assistant coach, Paras Mhambrey, addressed inquiries regarding Bumrah's return after MI's loss to CSK. His comments suggested that Bumrah's comeback might take some time.

“He is making progress. Based on the information we received from the NCA, we are pleased with his recovery,” he stated.

“However, I won’t speculate on a timeline at this moment. I will defer to the upper management team, who are in communication with the NCA. They are optimistic. We hope for the best, as he is a crucial part of the Mumbai Indians and has contributed significantly to our success over the years.”

Mhambrey expressed his desire to have Bumrah back in the team, emphasizing their satisfaction with his progress and the need to monitor the situation closely.

Prior to MI’s season opener, many fans and analysts believed that competing against CSK without Bumrah would be a significant challenge, a prediction that proved accurate as CSK easily overpowered MI. Chasing a target of 156 runs, Chennai achieved 158/6 in 20 overs, with Rachin Ravindra (65*) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (53*) both scoring half-centuries.

In his IPL career, Bumrah has claimed 165 wickets in 133 matches, boasting an average of 22.51 and an economy rate of 7.30, making him the second-highest wicket-taker for MI after Lasith Malinga. He has also recorded two five-wicket hauls and four-wicket performances in the IPL.

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