He is returning from a back injury.
Mumbai Indians (MI) received a shot in the arm ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede stadium on Monday as lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah joined the squad.
Bumrah had missed out on the Champions Trophy 2025 due to a back injury he suffered during the fifth and final Test in Sydney in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Given his importance to the Indian team and the issue of workload ahead of the England Test series between June and August, MI are unlikely to rush him into action immediately.
Besides his increased prominence in the national team, Bumrah has been a key figure in the Mumbai Indians set-up since his IPL debut in 2013. The 31-year-old has claimed 165 wickets from 133 matches at an average of 22.51 and an average economy of 7.3.
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Last season MI finished bottom of the IPL table, yet Bumrah was the third-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 20 wickets from 13 matches at an economy of 6.4.
It was a similar scenario in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which India lost 3-1 in Australia after a decade. Bumrah was the top wicket-taker on both sides despite being unavailable in the second innings of the final Test. He finished the series with 32 scalps from nine innings at a ridiculous average of 13.06, seven more than Australia skipper Pat Cummins.
No matter when he plays in the IPL 2025, Bumrah’s presence in the dressing room is a positive for MI. So far, captain Hardik Pandya has carried the burden of the pace department with eight wickets from three matches, including a fifer against Lucknow Super Giants in a losing cause.
Young Punjab pacer Ashwani Kumar has caught the public eye after a dream debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He claimed 4-24 and set up an eight-wicket victory at the Wankhede.
MI are currently ailing, having lost three of their first four matches in the new season. The Hardik Pandya-led side is in eighth place in the table.
RCB, meanwhile, got a rude awakening after beating KKR and Chennai Super Kings. They suffered an eight-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans at home in Bengaluru.
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