Jasprit Bumrah underwent back surgery as he hopes to be fit in time for the ODI World Cup, which will be played at home in India in October-November this year. The surgery was performed in New Zealand on Monday.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that Bumrah is expected to remain in New Zealand until the end of March. The roadmap for his return, prepared by the BCCI medical staff, is for him to resume training and bowling in August, with his workload gradually increasing after that, with the plan to get him fully fit for the World Cup. World.
Bumrah has not featured in any cricket matches since late September last year, when he withdrew from the home white-ball series against South Africa, the reason reportedly being a lower back stress reaction. He attempted to return in January this year for the home series against Sri Lanka, but that didn’t happen after he experienced back discomfort.
The latest update has ruled him out of the 2023 edition of the IPL and the World Test Championship final at The Oval from June 7 (if India qualifies).
It is understood that BCCI medical staff at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru had been treating Bumrah’s case urgently and suggested that the surgery as an option. The decision to perform the surgery was made by the BCCI in coordination with the NCA and Bumrah.
It has been a frustrating wait for Bumrah, who has tried to make a comeback more than once since picking up the back injury last August that kept him out of the Asian Cup. Initially, the injury did not seem too serious as Bumrah was named in India’s T20 World Cup squad on September 12. To mark his fitness, Bumrah even played in the last two T20I series in Australia on September 23 and 25.
However, three days later, Bumrah failed to show up for the first T20I against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram. It later emerged that he had been taken for scans, which revealed a stress-related injury. The following day, Bumrah was taken to the NCA, where further scans confirmed the injury to be serious and he was subsequently ruled out for the T20 World Cup.
Bumrah resumed his rehabilitation in November and began bowling in mid-December. His progress seemed positive when the selectors belatedly added it for cue ball series against Sri Lanka more than a week after the Indian team was originally named.
While Bumrah had done the match simulation exercises at the NCA, he felt uncomfortable carrying out higher workloads during a physical exercise in Mumbai in early January. The scans revealed a new problem, which eventually ruled him out of the Australian Tests.
Indian team management, as well as the NCA, want Bumrah to return only when he is fully fit to perform at his best, and captain Rohit Sharma is also warning India. against rushing it in action.
