Bumrah Should Not Play The IPL If He Is Not 100 Per Cent Fit: Vengsarkar

Mumbai Indians have a rather peculiar record in the Indian Premier League. The iconic franchise haven't won the opening game of an IPL campaign since 2012.

During the same period, Mumbai went on to win the tournament five times, the joint record for most titles shared with Chennai Super Kings.

So nobody could find an anomaly when Mumbai lost to Chennai on Sunday in the 2025 opener.

And yet, the Indian media already started speculating on the fitness of Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians' star fast bowler who is recovering from a back injury he suffered during the Australia Test series.

With 165 wickets from 133 matches since his debut in 2013, Bumrah has been the standout performer for the star-studded Mumbai teams, playing a big role in their five triumphant campaigns.

So it's natural for Mumbai Indians fans, who saw their team finish at the bottom of the table last year, to be anxious about Bumrah's fitness.

But former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar said Bumrah should only be brought back if the right-arm fast bowler is 100 per cent fit.

“Look he is a fast bowler. Coming back to competitive cricket without complete recovery could be dangerous, it could damage the back even more. So if he fails to gain complete fitness, he should not play (the IPL this season) at all,” the legendary Indian batsman said.

“Bumrah is an outstanding bowler, one of the greats of the game. He has done exceptionally well, especially in the last two or three years. So his absence will be a big loss for the Mumbai Indians, there is no question about it. But then he has to see his own future as well in cricket. You can't afford to damage the back again and again.”

Bumrah came back brilliantly after a major surgery on his back, helping India win the T20 World Cup last year and almost single-handedly challenging Australia in the five-Test series Down Under before the injury returned.

“He needs to be very careful. He is a very experienced player and he cannot afford to risk his career,” Vengsarkar said.

But can the franchises, who invest so much on their teams, put pressure on the big-name players to be match-ready for the IPL?

“I don't know if any IPL team can do that. I hope nobody can put pressure on players,” Vengsarkar said.

“Look, if a fast bowler has to bowl, he has to be more than 100 per cent fit. And if the franchise puts pressure on a player to play a few matches at least, then the BCCI should step in.

“Unless the BCCI's medical team gives the green signal about a player's fitness, there should be no question of getting the player to play.”

With an important five-Test series against England to start after the IPL, Vengsarkar said India's cricket board should handle Bumrah with great care.

“I feel Bumrah should be preserved for Test matches and if he can manage his body well, then he can play the other formats as well,” the former chairman of selectors said.

“But Test cricket is very important and Bumrah is a very important player in the Indian squad. He is a match-winner in any conditions. It will only help Indian cricket if Bumrah is fully fit.”

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