"World Won't End If Jasprit Bumrah Doesn't Play 7 IPL Games": Ex-India Batter Sets Priorities Straight
Jasprit Bumrah is expected to return to the field in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he is an integral part of the Mumbai Indians franchise.
Team India has been missing out on the services of their star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for a quite a long time now. The 29-year-old pacer has been out of action since September 2022, due to a back injury. He even missed out on 2022 T20 World Cup and the ongoing Border-Gavasakar Trophy against Australia. However, Bumrah is expected to return to the field in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he is an integral part of the Mumbai Indians franchise. As the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup are also scheduled for this year, there are chances that the BCCI might want Bumrah to be rested for a few games in the IPL, to monitor his workload.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra stated that Mumbai Indians should let go Bumrah for a few matches, if the BCCI demands it as the pacer needs to be fully fit for the big international events later this year.
"You're an Indian player first and then you play for your franchise. So, if Bumrah feels any discomfort, the BCCI will step in and tell the franchise that we are not going to release him. The world won't end if he doesn't play seven games with Jofra Archer," Chopra told Sportskeeda.
"At the same time, when you're fit, you want to keep on playing as that only makes you better. So I definitely feel MI will pay heed to it if BCCI steps in because he is a national treasure and things aren't as difficult to manage as they seem to be at the moment," he added.
Recently, BCCI announced the India squad for the ODIs against Australia, excluding Bumrah. BCCI stated that the pacer's recovery from stress fracture has been a slow one and the Indian team management is unlikely to risk playing him in the three ODIs against Australia just after the end of the four-match Test series.
Bumrah will be needed for the potential World Test Championship final at the Oval in London from June 7-11 and also for the big ODI World Cup in India at the end of the year.
With PTI Inputs
Jasprit Bumrah
India Cricket Team
Mumbai Indians