NEW DELHI: The cricketing world eagerly awaits the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, but fans will have to wait a bit longer. Bumrah, the ace Indian pacer, has not yet bowled at full tilt at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE), indicating that his return to competitive cricket might be further delayed. Similarly, Akash Deep’s comeback has been pushed back by at least a week.
According to sources, Bumrah is clinically fit, but the BCCI medical team is taking a cautious approach due to his history of back injuries. He suffered a lower back injury during the Sydney Test in early January and has been gradually increasing his workload to avoid the risk of a stress fracture. Akash Deep, on the other hand, has been nursing a back injury that prevented him from playing in the Australian tour.
The BCCI medical team is particularly cautious with Bumrah, considering India’s upcoming schedule of five Tests in England immediately following the IPL. The national selectors and team management are not expecting Bumrah to play all five Tests, prioritizing his long-term health over immediate availability.
“Bumrah’s injury is more serious than initially thought,” a BCCI source revealed. “The medical team is focused on ensuring he doesn’t suffer a stress fracture. Bumrah is being careful and is currently bowling at the CoE, but it might take longer for him to return to full swing. No definite timeline has been set, but we hope he’ll be back by mid-April. Akash Deep is also targeting a return by April 10.”
Bumrah was initially expected to join the Mumbai Indians by April 1, but that now seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mayank Yadav is on a similar recovery timeline as Bumrah and Akash Deep. Under the refreshed standard operating procedure, the bowling coach at the CoE will have the final say on their readiness to return to competitive cricket. While the medical team assesses their fitness to endure the rigours of high-performance sport, the bowling coach will determine if they are ready to leave the CoE and rejoin their teams.