Team India and Mumbai Indians (MI) pace ace Jasprit Bumrah has been spotted bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru as he continues to recover from a back injury. The 31-year-old pacer suffered the injury during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series against Australia in Sydney earlier this year.
Bumrah’s injury ruled him out of the 2025 Champions Trophy, a tournament India went on to win thanks to impressive performances from their spinners on the slow tracks of Dubai. His absence has also been felt in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where Mumbai Indians have struggled in their opening matches without their bowling spearhead.
JASPRIT BUMRAH BOWLING AT THE NCA.
pic.twitter.com/6kP2NBYWec
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 31, 2025
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Mumbai Indians Struggle Without Bumrah
MI’s performance in IPL 2025 has not been ideal, with the team losing its first two matches. Their bowling attack has lacked bite in Bumrah’s absence, exposing weaknesses in their strategy. The star pacer will also be unavailable for Mumbai’s crucial encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium.
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However, MI fans received a positive update when a social media user posted a video showing Bumrah bowling in the nets at the NCA. This hints that his recovery is progressing well and he could soon return to action for MI.
Aakash Chopra Highlights Mumbai’s Bowling Issues
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra weighed in on Mumbai Indians’ struggles in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out the glaring issues in MI’s bowling attack:
“You are missing Bumrah, but you are not utilizing the available resources effectively. The ball was even reversing, but the penetration was missing because Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, and Hardik Pandya all bowl at around 135 kph. The team is clearly lacking a genuine express pacer. Either bring Bumrah back or risk getting stuck in a tough situation.”
Chopra also questioned MI’s team selection,
“Mujeeb (Ur Rahman) was playing but Vignesh Puthur wasn’t. Puthur picked up three wickets in the last match and you didn’t play him. The selection disappointed me a little. (Mitchell) Santner bowled only three overs and Mujeeb bowled only two. Satyanarayana Raju does well, but you had saved only the death overs for him. He is a bit of a death specialist, but I don’t think they are getting it right.”
Also Read: IPL 2025: Updated Points Table, Orange Cap And Purple Cap Rankings After RR vs CSK
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