"A big setback for Mumbai Indians" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on Jasprit Bumrah's likely absence from IPL 2023
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma feels that Mumbai Indians (MI) will be disappointed if Jasprit Bumrah remains absent from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) due to his back injury.
He pointed out how the Mumbai-based franchise dealt a similar setback last season when Jofra Archer was ruled out of the entire IPL 2022. Sharma also emphasized that while MI could struggle without Bumrah, the speedster's injury will also be a big concern for Team India, given that he is the leader of the pace attack.
"It is a big setback for Mumbai Indians," he said while speaking on India News Sports. "They had to wait for Jofra Archer to get fit last year, and now it's Jasprit Bumrah. However, it is also a very big loss for the country, as we were relying a lot on him because he was leading the other pacers.
"His absence is a major setback, considering that Mohammed Shami, too, isn't very young right now. Apart from Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik, we don't have anyone else who can bowl over 140 kmph consistently."
Notably, Bumrah was set to make his much-awaited return in the IPL 2023. However, fans might have to wait a little longer before seeing him back in action. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the experienced pacer is unlikely to take part in this year's cash-rich league due to his injury concerns.
"Making a comeback after suffering a stress fracture is never easy" - Rajkumar Sharma on Jasprit Bumrah's injury
Rajkumar Sharma further highlighted that many people feared that Jasprit Bumrah would have to deal with a lot of injuries in his career because of his unusual bowling action.
The veteran coach also reckoned that it won't be easy for Bumrah to make a comeback, given the nature of his injury.
"Jasprit Bumrah has had a very different kind of action right from the beginning," he continued. "He grabbed a lot of eyeballs, as many were surprised to see him bowl at an express pace with such a short run-up and action.
"However, people also feared that because of these things, he might be prone to injuries. Making a comeback after suffering a stress fracture is never easy for a fast bowler, especially for a speedster like Bumrah."
According to reports, Jasprit Bumrah could miss the upcoming IPL 2023 and the WTC Final in June ❌🇮🇳
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Bumrah hasn't returned to the Men in Blue side since their three-match home T20I series against Australia in September last year. While he was included in India's squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, he was ruled out ahead of the opening match after complaining of a stiff back.