Teams will be hoping for positive updates soon as they finalise their squads for the new season.
The IPL 2025 season is just around the corner, starting on March 22 with Kolkat Knight Riders facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening game at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. As the tournament gets closer, many teams are still waiting for fitness updates on some of their important players.
One big concern is Jasprit Bumrah, who is likely to miss Mumbai Indians’ matches in March. Besides him, a few other players are also waiting for the green signal from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) or Centre of Excellence before they can join their IPL teams.
Here’s a look at five cricketers who are yet to receive clearance from the NCA to play in IPL 2025. Teams will be hoping for positive updates soon as they finalise their squads for the new season.
Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action since he suffered a back injury during the first innings of the Sydney Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. He has been rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where former BCCI Sports Science head Nitin Patel is personally monitoring his rehab. Bumrah underwent surgery on his back in early 2023, and though he is progressing, his complete recovery is still being closely monitored.
There is hope that Bumrah will be cleared to play by the end of March. Mumbai Indians will play their first home game on March 31 against Kolkata Knight Riders. If everything goes well, Bumrah might be able to join the squad in early April.
Sanju Samson suffered a fracture on his right index finger during the home T20 series against England last month. He had to undergo surgery for the injury and has been recovering since then. Recently, he passed the fitness test for his batting, but he still needs to get clearance from the NCA for his wicketkeeping.
There are likely to be more tests in the next few days to check if he is fully fit to keep wickets. Rajasthan Royals might get full or partial clearance for him soon. If he is not ready to keep, Dhruv Jurel is available in the squad to take over wicketkeeping duties. Rajasthan Royals will play their first match of IPL 2025 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23.
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Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler Mayank Yadav is likely to miss the first half of IPL 2025. According to ESPNcricinfo, he is recovering from a lumbar stress injury and has resumed bowling at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Mayank picked up the injury after his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh last October. There is no confirmed return date yet, but if he clears all fitness tests and builds up his bowling workload, he might be available in the second half of the season.
Avesh Khan is recovering from a knee cartilage issue. After finishing the Ranji Trophy with Madhya Pradesh in January, he was sent to the NCA for treatment. He also took injections for his injury and has been in rehab since then.
There is hope that Avesh might be cleared to play in time for Lucknow Super Giants’ opening match. If fit, he is expected to be part of the playing eleven and lead the pace attack for the team.
Mohsin Khan’s exact injury is not clearly known. He last played a domestic game on December 31, 2024, for Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He bowled only 5.5 overs in that match and has been missing from action since.
Despite the uncertainty, Mohsin is also expected to be ready for the start of IPL 2025. If fit, he could be in the starting lineup for LSG’s first match alongside Avesh Khan.
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