India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had sustained a hip injury during an IPL 2020 fixture on October 2, will continue to remain out of action till the 2021 IPL edition, likely to be held in early April.

According to a report published in IANS, Bhuvneshwar, who is working on his recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, will complete his rehab next month.

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The report also suggests that the 30-year-old seamer would remain out of action for six months since the date of injury.

"He will be able to play only during the IPL as he is out of competitive cricket for six months," an official in the know of things told IANS.

Bhuvneshwar has also not been named in the Uttar Pradesh squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, slated to be played next month.

Commenting on Bhuvneshwar’s injuries in the last two years, renowned sports physiotherapist Heath Matthews said: "The problem with fast bowling is that it puts a huge toll on the body. He seems to be unlucky in the last couple of years and seems to be getting a lot of classic injuries -- back strain, side strain, hamstring strain -- that all focus in and around the lower back area, which is very often the problem area for bowlers."

Asked if change in pace or style of bowling is impacting Bhuvneshwar’s body, Matthews, who is associated with Mumbai Indians, replied: "Sometimes a bowler who is trying to get extra pace and extra swing, it takes a couple of seasons to get that right. At times, the body also takes time to adjust to take the new stress, trying to do new things. Unfortunately, it can be overloaded in certain areas. At the elite level you are so close to the maximum that to make changes becomes very difficult for your body and takes a long time to adjust."

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s body has become injury-prone in recent times. In 2018, he suffered back injury, which saw him missing matches on the tour of England. During the 50-over World Cup last year, he picked up a hamstring injury in the match against Pakistan and again missed a few games.

Bhuvneshwar returned to competitive cricket after nine months during the IPL 2020, the lengthy hiatus also caused by COVID-19, but could play just four matches in the tournament before breaking down.

(With IANS inputs)