Bumrah to join IPL bandwagon at month-end after wedding break

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah's wedding has turned a blessing in disguise, allowing him a welcome break ahead of a hectic schedule that comprises the Indian Premier League (IPL), tour of England for the World Test Championship final as well as a five-Test series and the T20 World Cup at home later this year.

Bumrah played just two Test matches during the recent Test series against England and prior to that in Australia, represented India in three of the four Test matches. He missed the T20I series but played all the three ODIs in Australia.

He is sitting out of the ongoing T20I series and will, in all probability, miss the three-match ODI series to be held in Pune later this month.

He is expected to join Mumbai Indians towards the end of this month, between March 26-28 and will immediately enter a week-long quarantine before flying to Chennai.

Unlike him, his other India teammates will directly go to their respective venues since their movement will be bubble-to-bubble.

With Bumrah, since he has been outside the bubble, he will have to serve another period of quarantine.

Bumrah's workload has been a concern for India ever since he returned from a lower-back injury back in early 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic provided a break but on his return he played the 2020 IPL and bowled 60 overs in that tournament.

After that he was on board the flight to Australia where he suffered a strain in the abdomen and had to be rested for the fourth and final Test after playing the first three Test matches.

The right-arm pace bowler has bowled 277.1 overs over the last five months.

The workload for India and his franchise in the past few months and the subsequent long season ahead with IPL, the tour of England and the T20 World Cup has been a concern considering his injuries in recent times.

--IANS

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