CHENNAI: In Saturday night’s clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Mumbai Indians once again pinned their hopes on Jasprit Bumrah to pull off something extremely difficult—defending a target of 160 against the Chennai Super Kings. Bumrah delivered the kind of spell you expect from the spearhead, striking the in-form Sanju Samson and finishing with figures of 1/20 in his three overs. Yet CSK attacked from the other end, kept the pressure on MI’s batting depth, and ultimately won with comfort, turning Bumrah’s effort into a losing one.
Bumrah’s workload, and why MI’s results have felt one-sided
The pattern has repeated throughout this IPL. In nine matches, Bumrah has already bowled 33 overs at an economy rate of 8.61, while the rest of MI’s bowling unit has conceded far more. MI have relied on Bumrah to perform both roles—containing runs and also striking at key moments—at the same time. But the fast bowler, whose schedule has been relentless since the start of the T20 World Cup, has found it tougher to consistently deliver breakthroughs.
- Bumrah has bowled 33 overs in nine games at an economy of 8.61.
- In those outings, other MI bowlers have leaked runs more freely.
- MI have asked Bumrah to combine defensive bowling with wicket-taking impact.
Pressure mounts as MI weigh up whether to rest their strike bowler
Unsurprisingly, Bumrah has become a talking point in the midst of MI’s poor run, with the side already appearing close to missing the play-off picture. That naturally leads to a pressing question inside the franchise setup: will Mumbai Indians decide to rest him for the remainder of the tournament?
However, MI coach Mahela Jayawardene did not appear to support the idea when he addressed the media after Saturday’s heavy defeat. Jayawardene suggested MI are still mathematically in the hunt and pushed back on any early assumption that the season is over.
“We are not yet out, are we?” Jayawardene said, turning to the media manager as if to confirm there is still life in the campaign.
He added that it was too soon to make any final call, pointing to the remaining fixtures and the need to finish strongly.
“It’s too early for me to say anything, we still have five more games, anything can happen for us. We just need to finish the tournament positively and see what happens. There’s a lot more cricket to be played, I don’t think mathematically we’re out from the tournament, so I’m going to fight and I’m sure the rest of the boys will do the same as well,” Jayawardene said when asked about the possibility of resting Bumrah for the rest of the season.
The 2022 warning sign, and Bumrah’s history with injury management
There is, though, a reminder hanging over the conversation—one from 2022. Back then, MI endured a campaign as grim as the current one, winning only four matches and finishing at the bottom. Yet Bumrah was still required to play all 14 games during that tournament. Across the season, he bowled 53.2 overs from his available workload, took 15 wickets, and maintained an economy rate of 7.15.
Those were impressive numbers, but the aftermath became a nightmare not only for Bumrah, but also for Indian cricket. After that stretch of heavy work, he suffered a back stress fracture, missed action for 11 months, and when India reached the T20 World Cup semifinal, they lost to England by 10 wickets without their leading pacer.
Bumrah’s back injury returned in 2025 as well. Since his comeback, the 32-year-old has reportedly placed extra emphasis on workload management. That approach, in turn, saw him miss two critical Test matches against England last year when the series was in a decisive phase.
- In 2022, Bumrah played all 14 MI matches despite MI winning just four and finishing last.
- That season: 53.2 overs, 15 wickets, economy rate of 7.15.
- Afterward, he endured a back stress fracture and was sidelined for 11 months.
- India then lost the T20 World Cup semifinal to England by 10 wickets without him.
- He had a recurrence of the back issue in 2025 and has since focused on workload control.
- He missed two key Test matches versus England when the series mattered most.
What lies ahead: Tests, the 2027 ODI World Cup, and the need for format planning
That management philosophy has not sat comfortably with everyone involved in Indian cricket, and discussion has already surfaced that the plan could be for Bumrah to feature in all nine World Test Championship matches India have left in the cycle. The ODI World Cup is also scheduled for October 2027 in South Africa. Bumrah, who has not played a single 50-over match since the 2023 World Cup final, will likely need meaningful game time in that format as part of his overall preparation.
With so much cricket expected across the cycle, the argument is that Bumrah must be given sufficient rest so he can deliver across formats without his body breaking down. For practical purposes, the expectation is that he should be rested from Monday’s match when MI take on LSG and continue that approach through the rest of the IPL season—but the real test will be whether Mumbai Indians actually follow through on that plan.
