Last Updated: February 21, 2023, 16:35 IST
Jasprit Bumrah last played a T20I against Australia last year. (AFP Photo)
Jasprit Bumrah played a couple of practice games at the BCCI’s facility in Bengaluru in the last 10 days but hasn’t been issued an all-clear to be considered for national call-ups
Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness has hogged the limelight again following his absence from the squad for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the following ODIs against Australia. The right-arm quick last played for the country in the T20Is against the Aussies at home in September 2023. Since then, he has been rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
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According to a Cricbuzz report, Bumrah is yet to get a clearance from the NCA. It has been learned that the star Indian pacer played a couple of practice games at the BCCI’s facility in Bengaluru in the last 10 days but hasn’t been issued an all-clear to be considered for national call-ups.
The reports further stated that Bumrah will feature in the much-anticipated 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) where the BCCI will monitor his workload. In certain instances, the foreign boards often issue conditional NOCs, requesting the franchises not to make a bowler bowl more than a fixed number of deliveries in the nets or not to make him play consecutive games. They also seek the player’s fitness updates regularly. The Indian cricket board might go that way in order to keep a track of Bumrah’s progress.
Bumrah’s fitness is one of the major concerns of them as they eye the World Test Championship final followed by the 50-over World Cup at home. The team management would want to scale up his recovery with a series of tournaments lined up already. He will surely be monitored on a priority basis as the much-awaited WTC is scheduled to be played right after the lucrative IPL in which he represents the Mumbai Indians.
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The franchise had a horrific season last year, finishing 10th on the leaderboard. The five-time champions were also the first team to be knocked out of the tournament. The upcoming season is going to be crucial for the team as one of their biggest purchases, England’s Jofra Archer joins the camp.
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