India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is steadily regaining rhythm following a three-month injury layoff, and Mumbai Indians (MI) plan to ease him back into full competition mode during the IPL 2024, head coach Mahela Jayawardene said on Monday.
Bumrah returned to action in MI’s clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after being sidelined since January due to a back issue. His comeback was met with a challenging start, as Virat Kohli welcomed him with a six on the very first ball. Despite the early hit, Bumrah delivered a typically economical spell, though MI fell short, suffering a 12-run defeat—their fourth loss in five matches.
🔊 “He’s in good nick,” said Jayawardene post-match.
“He’s disappointed we couldn’t get the win, but the pace and execution were right up there. It’s all about getting him game-time now.”
Jayawardene clarified that the decision to introduce Bumrah later in the attack was strategic, aimed at managing his workload following his recovery.
💬 “Boom is coming back from a layoff. We’ve got two swing bowlers who start us off, and we wanted to ease Bumrah back in. He executed well, and his control was excellent.”
The MI coach emphasized that while Bumrah had undergone extensive rehabilitation at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy (NCA), he needed match practice more than anything else.
📌 “Sunday was actually his first session bowling to batters again. He had cleared all fitness tests at the NCA. Now it’s just about building rhythm in match situations.”
Jayawardene praised Bumrah’s skill and sharpness, saying that despite limited game-time, his quality was evident.
🗣️ “He probably had just two or three off balls in the whole spell. Against top-quality batters, that’s a solid performance.”
With Bumrah’s return, MI now look to regroup and build momentum in the upcoming fixtures, banking on their spearhead regaining full match sharpness.
