Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has expressed apprehension regarding the current form of Mumbai Indians' (MI) pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, with just few days to the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which is set to start from March 22. Clarke feels that Bumrah's absence will hugely impact Mumbai Indians' performance in the IPL 2025.
Recently, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed that Bumrah will miss the first few games of the season. The World Cup-winner is currently focused on regaining full match fitness, undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and has not participated in competitive cricket since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he picked up the gruesome back injury.
MI have historically struggled in their season openers since 2012, and Bumrah's absence further compounds their potential difficulties, particularly in their highly anticipated clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23. However, there is optimism that Bumrah will successfully complete his rehabilitation and return to competitive cricket by the first week of April, potentially providing a much-needed boost to the MI squad.
Bumrah's absence won't be the only setback for the MI, as they prepare for the 2025 IPL season. In addition to Bumrah's absence, they will also be without their captain, Hardik Pandya, for the opening match. Pandya is serving a one-match suspension due to repeated breaches of the over-rate rule during the 2024 season.
However, Clarke has also expressed reservations about whether the pacer will be able to return to his peak performance immediately, adding another layer of uncertainty to MI's prospects.
"I'm just scared about Bumrah. He's had no cricket; he's not starting the tournament so he can't possibly be at his best in the first game. I know he's a freak and he can take five wickets but I think he will get better as the tournament goes. I just don’t know. If there's no Bumrah, Mumbai will find it extremely difficult," Clarke said on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
Notably, Bumrah was retained by MI for Rs 18 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. His value to the team was evident in the 2024 season, where he emerged as their leading wicket-taker, securing 20 wickets in 13 matches while maintaining an impressive economy rate of 6.48. Meanwhile, Clarke has offered his prediction for the IPL 2025 title, backing the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) under the captaincy of Pat Cummins. He believes that SRH's bowling attack will be the decisive factor in their pursuit of the championship. Furthermore, Clarke expressed confidence that Cummins will demonstrate improved captaincy skills in the upcoming season, enhancing SRH's chances of success.
"I'm probably going to be a little biased. If I pick a player now, based on favouritism for sure, I'm going to go with Pat Cummins and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Go the Aussies. But again, I think the bowling is important for Sunrisers Their batting is strong enough to win the tournament, no doubt. Patty, as a captain, would have learned a lot as captain so his captaincy will improve this year. But it's just their bowling. They cannot afford their quicks to get injured. Their death bowling is so important, and he [Cummins] is a big part of that," he concluded.