CHENNAI: On Saturday evening, Mumbai Indians once again relied on Jasprit Bumrah to defend a modest total of 160 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against the Chennai Super Kings. Bumrah bowled with immense heart, dismissing the in-form Sanju Samson and finishing with figures of 1-20 in three overs. However, CSK played him cautiously, attacked from the other end, and secured a comfortable victory.
This scenario has been a recurring theme throughout the current IPL season. In nine matches, Bumrah has bowled 33 overs at an economy rate of 8.61, while his teammates have leaked runs at a much higher rate. The burden on Bumrah to both defend and attack has taken a toll on the paceman, who has been playing continuous cricket since the T20 World Cup. He is struggling to pick up wickets consistently.
Unsurprisingly, Bumrah has faced some criticism for Mumbai Indians' dismal performance, as the team is virtually out of playoff contention. This raises a crucial question: Will MI rest him for the remainder of the tournament? MI coach Mahela Jayawardene dismissed the idea during the post-match press conference. "We are not yet out, are we?" he asked, turning to the media manager, who nodded in agreement. "It's too early for me to say anything. We still have five more games, and anything can happen. We need to finish the tournament positively and see what happens. There's a lot more cricket to be played. Mathematically, we are not out, so I'm going to fight, and I'm sure the rest of the boys will do the same," Jayawardene stated.
Perhaps someone should remind the Sri Lankan legend of the 2022 season, when MI endured a similarly wretched campaign, winning only four games and finishing last. Despite the team's struggles, Bumrah played all 14 matches, bowling 53.2 overs out of a possible 56, taking 15 wickets at an economy rate of 7.15. While those figures were brilliant, the aftermath was disastrous for both Bumrah and the Indian team. Bowling flat out in meaningless games led to a back stress fracture, sidelining him for 11 months. India subsequently lost the T20 World Cup semifinal to England by 10 wickets without their spearhead.
Bumrah suffered a recurrence of the back injury in 2025, and since his return, the 32-year-old has prioritized workload management. This led to him dropping out of two crucial Test matches against England last year when the series was on the line. The decision did not sit well with those running Indian cricket, and there are already discussions about the management wanting him to play all nine World Test Championship matches India have in the remaining cycle. Additionally, the ODI World Cup is scheduled for October 2027 in South Africa, and Bumrah, who has not played a 50-over game since the 2023 World Cup final, needs game time in that format.
With so much cricket ahead, Bumrah must be adequately rested to deliver across all formats without breaking down. For all practical purposes, the champion should be rested from Monday when MI face Lucknow Super Giants until the end of the IPL. But is Mumbai Indians listening?
