Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action since the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Leading the side in the final Test in Sydney, Bumrah encountered back issues which forced him to miss the remaining part of the Test match as well as miss the recently-concluded ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.
Although, he has been out since early January, several reports have claimed that he will also miss the initial stages of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. However, an update on his participation still remains under doubt, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach and former New Zealand cricketer, Shane Bond believes that a player like Bumrah needs to be managed with career, especially when it comes to playing different formats.
Transition from IPL to Test Championship will be a risk: Shane Bond on Bumrah
Speaking with ESPNcricinfo days ahead of IPL 2025, Bond recalled his thoughts on Bumrah’s injury, which he sustained early this year. "When he went off for scans, it was at Sydney, there was some messaging coming up around that he had sprains and stuff like that. I worried that it wasn't going to be a sprain, it might be a bony injury around that area [the back]. I thought he may struggle to make the Champions Trophy if it was,” he said.
“Look, I think Booms will be fine, but it's just that [workload] management [matters]. Looking at the tours and the schedule going forward, where are the opportunities to give him a break, but really where are the danger periods? And often, it is that the [transition from] IPL to the Test championship will be a risk," Bond further added, emphasising how the workload management will play a crucial role.
The former Kiwis pacer also added, "Anywhere you transition from particularly T20 to a Test match, it's challenging. If you are playing a one-day series, it's generally not too bad. You will play three games a week, you will have a practice, you are sort of in around that 40 overs [range], that's pretty close to a Test match week anyway.”
“But in T20, particularly in the IPL, when you might be playing three games in a week, there's two days of travel, you might get one training [session], you are sort of bowling 20 overs maybe if you're lucky. That's sort of half of a Test match load or even under a half of, which then is a big jump and you are not bowling back-to-back days. That's a big jump when you transition out of that," he added.
It is to be seen when will Bumrah join the five-time champions as they begin their campaign on Sunday, March 23 against the Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
