Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra opined that Jasprit Bumrah was irreplaceable in the Mumbai Indians line-up. The veteran pacer will miss the first few games of IPL 2025 as he is still recovering from his back injury. The ex-India opener reckoned that MI’s balance will have to be hampered with in an attempt to fill in the void created by Bumrah’s absence.
Who will replace Bumrah in MI’s line-up
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra explained that with Bumrah in the playing XI, MI can afford to field both Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton. However, he pointed out that the five-time champions will be forced to play either Reece Topley or Corbin Bosch, which means either Jacks or Ryan will have to sit out.
“It’s impossible to get a replacement for Bumrah. So this could be a cause for great concern. Then you will have to change your balance. With Bumrah, you can play a very good team despite playing both Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks. You can keep Boult and Santner, and you would be fine,” Chopra said.
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Further, Chopra pointed out that the entire scenario for MI changes because of Bumrah’s absence. He said that firstly, the veteran pacer was irreplaceable and secondly, he was an Indian. He said that the team would be forced to make two changes if one Indian sits out.
“If Bumrah is not available, you will have to add an overseas fast bowler. You will have to play either Topley or Bosch. If you do that, you will have to remove either Rickelton or Jacks from the top, and get Robin Minz in the middle,” he said.
Reports have stated that Bumrah is likely to join the MI camp only in April. This means he is expected to miss at least 3-4 games.
