Jasprit Bumrah, the star pacer for the Mumbai Indians, will miss the team’s first home game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders. The match is set to take place at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today. Bumrah’s absence is due to his ongoing recovery from a back injury that has kept him out of competitive cricket since January this year.
Mumbai Indians have had a challenging start to their IPL 2025 campaign, finding themselves at the bottom of the standings after losing their initial two matches. The team’s struggle is compounded by the absence of their bowling spearhead, Bumrah, with no immediate return in sight.
Bumrah’s last competitive appearance was during the fifth Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2025, where he managed to bowl only in the first innings. Initially named in India’s provisional squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, he was later replaced by Harshit Rana due to fitness concerns.
Currently, Bumrah is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He has resumed bowling in the nets, and a recent viral video of him practicing sparked speculation about his imminent return. However, neither Mumbai Indians nor the BCCI have provided an official confirmation on his comeback timeline.
“Bumrah has started bowling at the NCA. Don’t know when he will get the clearance, but feeling better after watching this clip,” a social media post dated March 30, 2025, read.
His absence has significantly impacted Mumbai Indians, who suffered defeats in their opening matches against Chennai Super Kings by four wickets on March 23 and against Gujarat Titans by 36 runs on March 29. While Bumrah will miss today’s crucial match, there are reports suggesting he might return to action by mid-April.
Bumrah made his IPL debut with Mumbai Indians on April 4, 2013, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he impressed by taking three wickets for 32 runs in four overs. Over the past 12 years, the Ahmedabad-born pacer has played 133 IPL matches, claiming 165 wickets, and remains one of only four bowlers in IPL history to have taken two five-wicket hauls.