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Mumbai Indians (MI) are without the services of their pace-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23. Ahead of their clash against Gujarat Titans (GT), the situation remains the same as MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene is not sure when will Bumrah join the camp in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
“Everyone is available except for Bumrah. Like I said in my last interview as well, it's on a daily basis that he's going through his program. So far, everything seems okay. But there were no timelines given by NCA [Centre of Excellence], so we'll wait on that,” Jayawardene told the reporters on the eve of the match.
Bumrah suffered a lower back injury during Sydney Test in first week of January 2025. He missed the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and is likely to miss a few more games in the IPL 2025 as well.
Pandya returns
While Bumrah won't be joining MI camp, captain Hardik Pandya will return to the side against his former franchise. He faced a one-match ban for slow over rate last season and Suryakumar Yadav led MI in his absence against Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK. While Pandya was boeed last season after taking over captaincy from Rohit Sharma, he has achieved a lot since then. He played a vital role in India's T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy 2025 triumphs.
"I think it is just a game of cricket. Fans are fans, and emotions are a part of the game. It is true that everyone has moved beyond that, but it is amazing to see how loyalty works, even in IPL, which is fascinating to see. Twelve months on, he's (Hardik Pandya) achieved a lot more, and I hope that people will see beyond what happened last year. I hope that we can enjoy a good game of cricket," Jayawardene said.
Changes expected in MI lineup
In the absence of Pandya and Bumrah, MI went with rookie pacer Satyanaryana Raju and Vignesh Puthur. While Raju was given just one over, left-arm chinaman bowler took three wickets in the losing cause. With Pandya back, MI's fast-bowling has been restocked. It will be interesting to see whether they drop Robin Minz and Raju from the side for GT clash at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
