NEW DELHI (Agencies): India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss IPL 2023 after being given the option of undergoing a back surgery. ESPNcricinfo has learnt Bumrah is yet to completely recover from the back injury which had ruled him out of the T20 World Cup last year, and that he could also possibly miss the World Test Championship final (if India qualify), which starts on June 7 at The Oval.
The BCCI medical staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru is treating Bumrah’s case on an urgent basis. It is understood that the staff suggested the surgery option to him following recurring niggles in his lower back which surfaced originally in the form of a stress reaction last August.
A final decision on the next step is expected to be taken soon by the BCCI in coordination with the NCA and Bumrah, keeping in mind the ODI World Cup is scheduled in October-November in India.
It has been a frustrating wait for Bumrah, who has attempted to make a comeback more than once since suffering a back injury last August which had ruled him out of the Asia Cup. Initially, the injury had not seemed too serious as Bumrah was named in India’s T20 World Cup squad on September 12. To mark his fitness, Bumrah even played in the last two T20Is of the Australia series on September 23 and 25.
However, three days later, Bumrah did not show up for the first T20I against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram. It was later learned that he had been taken for scans which revealed a stress-related injury. The next day Bumrah was rushed to NCA where further scans confirmed the injury was serious, and he was subsequently ruled out of the T20 World Cup.
Bumrah resumed his rehab in November and started to bowl by mid-December. His progress seemed positive when the selectors belatedly added him for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka more than a week after the Indian squad was picked originally.
While Bumrah had performed the match simulation exercises at NCA, he felt discomfort while performing higher workloads during a fitness drill in Mumbai in early January. Scans revealed a fresh niggle had developed, which eventually ruled him out of the Australia Tests. The Indian team management as well as the NCA want Bumrah to return only when he is absolutely fit to perform at his peak, with captain Rohit Sharma also warning India against rushing him back into action.
