India’s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah may be out of action for a longer period than expected due to a more serious injury than initially thought. Reports suggest that he is unlikely to be fit for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which begins in just a month’s time, and there is a possibility that he may not recover in time for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June, should India qualify.

Jasprit Bumrah to miss IPL 2023. It’s damn serious now. India will be without his services in WTC Final too?#CricketTwitter
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) February 26, 2023

Sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL circles have indicated that Bumrah has not been feeling comfortable after being out of action for almost five months. There are concerns that he may face a potentially lengthy hiatus from cricket.

Sources suggest that the Indian team’s priority is to have Bumrah ready for the World Cup in October-November, if not for the Asia Cup, wherever it may be held.

Bumrah last played for India in a T20I against Australia on September 25, 2020. Cricbuzz recently reported that he was not cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) authorities in Bengaluru for the three ODIs against Australia in March. However, the latest information suggests that things have not gone according to plan, and the NCA is not going to rush him back into action in a hurry.

Initially, it was believed that Bumrah’s return to the IPL would be a positive step, as he would only bowl four overs per game and the plan was for him to handle the workload slowly. However, it now appears that his recovery will take longer than anticipated, and a meticulously planned programme is being developed by the BCCI, NCA, and Indian team managements for his return.

Bumrah is a vital player for India in all formats of the game, and his injury has raised concerns ahead of the upcoming series. While his absence will be felt, the priority should be to ensure that he returns to full fitness before being rushed back into action. The BCCI and team management must take a cautious approach to his recovery to avoid any further setbacks.