In the absence of Bumrah, experienced Kiwi left-arm pacer Trent Boult will lead the MI attack along with pacer Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley and Corbin Bosch
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene during a press conference yesterday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will miss their key speedster Jasprit Bumrah at least for the initial few games in IPL-18. Bumrah emerged the third highest wicket-taker last season with 20 scalps from 13 games as Punjab Kings pacer Harshal Patel and defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinner Varun Chakravarthy led the chart with 24 and 21 wickets respectively.
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MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted that not having Bumrah is a challenge. “At the moment, everything is going well. But, obviously, it is on a day-to-day basis. He [Bumrah] is in good spirits. Not having him is a challenge and hopefully he can join the team soon. He is one of the best bowlers in the world and has been a fantastic pro for us for many years,” Jayawardene said during MI’s pre-season press conference at a city hotel on Wednesday.
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Bumrah suffered a back injury during the final Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in January. He has been playing for MI since 2013 and has claimed 165 wickets in 133 games. He also missed the 2023 IPL season due to a back injury. Currently, Bumrah is at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bangalore and working on his fitness. “[Bumrah] has just started his progress. We have to wait and see what their [BCCI medical team] feedback is on him.
“We’ll have to wait or find an opportunity for someone else to step up. That’s how I see it. It gives us an element of trying a few things and seeing how things work. The early part of the season allows us to do that,” explained Jayawardene.
In the absence of Bumrah, experienced Kiwi left-arm pacer Trent Boult will lead the MI attack along with pacer Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley and Corbin Bosch.
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