April 8, 2025: Jasprit Bumrah made a much-awaited comeback for Mumbai Indians (MI) after recovering from a back injury he sustained during the Sydney Test in January 2025. The pacer, who had been sidelined for several months, was back on the field against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Wankhede Stadium. While he didn’t claim any wickets, Bumrah bowled a disciplined spell, conceding just 29 runs from his four overs.
Bumrah’s return came in the midst of a tough match for MI, as they faced a 12-run defeat against RCB. However, despite the loss, Bumrah’s performance was a silver lining. He was introduced into the attack in the fourth over, and on his very first ball, Virat Kohli sent him over deep midwicket for a six. Following a 10-run over in his first spell, Bumrah came back strong in his second stint, giving away just five runs against a well-set Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar in the 11th over.
In the death overs, Bumrah was handed the ball again, and although he gave away a few singles, the pressure remained on the RCB batters. The final over saw him concede eight runs, including a six from Jitesh Sharma’s bat. Even though Bumrah didn’t manage to take a wicket, his economy rate remained impressive, especially considering the challenging conditions.
After the match, MI captain Hardik Pandya expressed his happiness at having Bumrah back in the team. In a post-match presentation, Pandya said, “Having him (Bumrah) makes any team in the world very special. He came in and did his job, very happy to have him.”
Despite the defeat, Bumrah remained upbeat and motivated the MI squad for their upcoming match against Delhi Capitals (DC). “Felt really good but unfortunately this is how your T20 cricket goes. Competition is still on. We can get on a roll and we have to believe that we can. We’re playing some good cricket. When we regroup in Delhi, we should be fresh and ready to go with belief that we can turn things around. We will give it our best shot,” he said in a video posted by MI on their social media accounts.
As MI prepares for their next match, Bumrah’s return is a positive sign, and with his leadership and skill, the team will look to bounce back and get their IPL 2025 campaign back on track.