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Ace Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has rejoined the Mumbai Indians squad just ahead of their opening match of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. MI will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Bumrah joined the team on Friday evening and is expected to attend his first practice session on Saturday. He did not train with the squad on Friday, as he had been asked to report to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where his workload has been closely monitored.
“He has joined the MI on Friday night, and he will be coming for practice on Saturday,” quoted IndianExpress.
Where was Jasprit Bumrah?
The 32-year-old was recently in top form during India’s T20 World Cup campaign, where he played a crucial role in the team’s title win and was named Player of the Final against New Zealand. After that, the medical staff advised him to spend some time at the COE to focus on his fitness and conditioning.
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With India scheduled to play Afghanistan in a short series after the IPL, followed by a tour of England in July, the board is being careful about managing his workload. They are expected to stay in touch with him throughout the IPL.
Bimrah's IPL performances
Bumrah has been one of MI’s most important players over the years, taking 186 wickets for the franchise. The team will once again rely on him to deliver in the two-month tournament.
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The five-time champions had an intense training session at Wankhede on Friday. Key players, including former captain Rohit Sharma, current skipper Hardik Pandya, and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, spent a long time batting in the nets.
Meanwhile, overseas players Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner are yet to join the squad.
Mumbai Indians will also be hoping to change their poor record in opening matches, as they haven’t won their first IPL game since 2012.
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