‘Not looking at next four-five months; our goal is the next four-five years’ - Jasprit Bumrah likely to take long rehab route before returning to cricket

With the upcoming ODI World Cup set to begin in less than seven months’ time, there are massive concerns regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness. It is reported that the ace pacer is currently doing well after his recent back surgery in New Zealand but neither the BCCI nor his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians are absolutely sure regarding his possible return date to professional cricket. 

As things stand, the 29-year-old will not rush to make his comeback. The BCCI previously cleared that their goal is to keep him fit for the long run and not compromise his career by rushing him back into the scheme of things. However, there’s a sense of belief and confidence among the officials that the pacer will be available for the ODI World Cup, which is slated to begin in October.

“We are not looking at next four-five months; our goal is the next four-five years. Everyone is on the same page with regard to Bumrah. No one wants to take any chance now with him. He will not be rushed for any matches before the World Cup. That is the one and only goal for Bumrah right now. He will undergo long rehab and we are confident he will be fit in time for the World Cup,” a source tracking Bumrah’s developments closely told News18 CricketNext.

Notably, the cricketer last played for India in September last year. Since then, he has missed the Asia Cup, T20 World Cup and the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He’ll also miss the upcoming IPL, WTC final and some crucial tours leading up to the World Cup. Thus, there’s a lot of cricket that Bumrah will miss in the coming time but the BCCI wants him to stay focused on his rehab and think of the long-term goal rather than getting distracted by other thoughts.

“Who wouldn’t want Bumrah to play all cricket for India this year? Everyone does but we need to be practical in our approach and do what is best for Bumrah and Indian cricket. All we want is to have him complete the rehab and not be distracted by any other thoughts. We have already entered crucial few years for Indian cricket and the next cycle of WTC continues to hold a lot of importance,” said the official who’s aware of the plans for Bumrah.

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