Mumbai Indians' star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will miss the first few matches of TATA IPL 2025. He is still recovering from a back injury that has kept him out since the Sydney Test in January. He suffered a stress-related injury in his lower back during the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test. As a result, he did not bowl in the second innings, and Australia won the series 3-1.

Bumrah’s Recovery and Absence

Previously, Bumrah delivered a brilliant performance in Australia, taking 32 wickets and winning Player of the Series. However, his injury forced him to miss India’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign, despite being named in the provisional squad.

Currently, he is undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Since his back surgery in 2023, he has been working hard to regain full fitness.

Possible Return to IPL 2025

According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, Bumrah may join Mumbai Indians in early April. However, his return depends on clearance from BCCI’s medical team. Furthermore, the report states that there is no exact timeline for his comeback, and it remains unclear how many matches he will miss.

Mumbai Indians’ First Matches in IPL 2025

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign with two away matches:

• March 23: Against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai.
• March 29: Against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad.

After that, their first home match will be at Wankhede Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 31. Then, they will travel to Lucknow to face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 4 before returning home to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 7.

Mumbai Indians’ Bowling Attack Without Bumrah

Despite Bumrah’s absence, Mumbai Indians still have several strong fast-bowling options like, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Corbin Bosch, Arjun Tendulkar, Satyanarayana Raju, Ashwani Kumar.

In addition, all-rounders Hardik Pandya (captain) and Raj Angad Bawa can also contribute with the ball. Bumrah’s absence is a major setback for Mumbai Indians. However, his recovery remains the top priority. Meanwhile, the team must rely on other bowlers to fill the gap. Fans eagerly await his return, hoping he can strengthen the squad later in the tournament.