"Forget Jasprit Bumrah...": India Star's Blunt Remark On Star Pacer's Prolonged Absence

Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah's absence has left Team India and their fans disappointed. The 29-year-old pacer has been out of action since September 2022 due to his back injury. According to the sources, Bumrah might be missing out on IPL 2023 as he may undergo a back surgery to fully recover from the problem. This has to led to concerns over his availability if India are to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June. As the Rohit Sharma-led side is on the cusp of qualifying into marquee event, former India all-rounder Madan Lal stated that the team management should forget about Bumrah and go with Umesh Yadav.

"They will take Umesh [to WTC final]. There you need at least 3 pacers to only one spinner might play and the rest will be fast bowlers. Bumrah ko ab bhool jao. Usko chhor dijiye aap (Forget Bumrah. Leave him out of the equation). When Bumrah returns, we will see then. Use whatever you have. What is the guarantee? No wonder when he will return - maybe 1 to 1.5 years. He has not played in so long. It means his injury his very serious," Madan Lal said on Sports Tak.

"At max, an injury takes 3 months to heal and he hasn't played since September - even Hardik Pandya was able to return in 4 months post his back surgery - and Bumrah hasn't played since 6 months. So how can you expect that this will be the same Bumrah that we have seen so far. It will take him time. If you want to see the same Bumrah, you will have to give him time," added Madan Lal.

It has been a frustrating wait for Bumrah, who has attempted to make a comeback more than once since suffering a back injury in August which ruled him out of the Asia Cup. Initially, the injury did not seem serious as he was named in India's T20 World Cup squad