Mahela Jayawardene did not specify a timeline, but the Mumbai Indians head coach did admit that Jasprit Bumrah will be missing out on the first few fixtures of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 edition, which kicks off on Saturday.
The Indian pace ace is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and Jayawardene was hopeful that he would ‘join the team soon’.
“Bumrah has just started his progress. We have to wait and see what their [BCCI medical team] feedback is on him,” Jayawardene told the media on Wednesday.
“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”, he said.
“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.”
Bumrah has been out of action since January this year after walking off for scans on the second day of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney. While he missed out on the Champions Trophy, concerns remain over his fitness, with former Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond recently warning Bumrah against bearing excessive workload in the future.