NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya offered a much-awaited update on star pacer Jasprit Bumrah ahead of their IPL 2025 clash against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday.
Bumrah, who has yet to feature in the season, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE), and fans have been eager for news on his return.
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Speaking at the toss at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Hardik addressed Bumrah’s absence and said: “Jasprit should be back soon.”
While Pandya didn’t specify a timeline, the update will provide some relief to Mumbai Indians supporters who have been missing the services of their pace spearhead. Bumrah’s return is critical for MI, who are yet to find their rhythm in the tournament.
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Hardik also revealed that Rohit Sharma missed the match after being hit on the knee during practice. “Rohit was hit on the knee. He is missing out,” Pandya confirmed after winning the toss and choosing to field.
“We are gonna bowl first. Looks like a fresh wicket. Not sure how it is going to play... We are here to play good cricket. Let’s not talk about the surfaces,” Hardik added.
DC captain Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, remained upbeat about his team’s batting depth: “We are pretty confident as a batting unit. Just play the ball, watch the ball, and react. Once we get a start, we will capitalise.”
LSG vs MI Playing XIs:
Mumbai Indians XI: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton (w), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Vignesh Puthur
Lucknow Super Giants XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan.
