India seamer Jasprit Bumrah has not been on the cricket field since September last year when he played 2 T20Is against Australia at home. Before that, he was out of action since the England tour due to a recurrence of his back stress fracture.
After the Australia T20Is, the issues flared up again and as a result, he missed the Asia Cup 2022, and the T20 World Cup 2022 as well, undergoing back surgery in New Zealand. Since then, he has been rehabbing at the NCA and didn’t play the IPL 2023 as well.
But News18 has reported that Bumrah is making good progress and could well be at peak fitness as he strives to return to the Men in Blue side when they tour Ireland for two T20I matches in August.
The Ireland series will allow Bumrah some much-needed game time ahead of two crucial white-ball tournaments. After the three-T20I series, India feature in the Asia Cup in September and then shift attention to the 50-over World Cup at home in October and November.
“Jasprit Bumrah is looking very good for the Ireland series in August this year. It will be a big boost to the Indian cricket team and will also allow Bumrah time in the middle after the long injury lay-off. If everything stays on course, a Bumrah at peak fitness is likely to take the field,” a BCCI official told News18.
Bumrah has been under the watchful eyes of NCA head VVS Laxman, and Nitin Patel, who is the Head Sports Science and Medicine department.
Apart from VVS and Patel, S Rajnikanth, who was part of the Delhi Capitals support staff and is now the physio at NCA, has been working very closely with the Indian seamer. He has worked with Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer as well.
“Nitin Patel and Rajnikanth have been working very closely with Bumrah and keeping him on track during the rehab period at the NCA. Both are very experienced and don’t want to take any chance with Bumrah in what is a very crucial white-ball year and also the start of the new World Test Championship cycle,” adds the official.
The report also suggested that the BCCI, the Indian team management, and Mumbai Indians are striving to ensure the longevity of Bumrah’s career. Since the surgery and the start of the rehab, all stakeholders were happy to take the patient route with the talented seamer.
“Everyone understands the importance of Bumrah in any team. May it be the Indian team or the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. With previous attempts of having him back being unsuccessful, everyone was happy to play the waiting game and allow the seamer to regain full fitness before he turns up for India again,” says a source close to developments.
(News18 inputs)
