Mumbai Indians (MI) raised plenty of eyebrows on Sunday, May 24, 2026, when they took the field for their final match of the IPL 2026 season against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium without their premier speedster, Jasprit Bumrah.
Given that Bumrah has endured a heavily disrupted season plagued by fitness issues, his complete absence from the playing XI immediately sparked injury concerns among cricket fans. However, MI skipper Hardik Pandya quickly cleared the air during the coin toss, outlining the exact reasons behind the fast bowler’s exclusion.
Rested, Not Injured
During the captain’s huddle at the toss, Hardik Pandya confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah has not picked up a fresh injury but was intentionally rested for the match.
Also on ABP Live | WATCH: Police Intervenes After Fans Allegedly Misbehave With Cheerleaders During LSG vs PBKS
The decision was made by the Mumbai Indians management as a precautionary measure to handle the bowler’s ongoing physical workload. In his place, veteran Indian seamer Deepak Chahar was drafted into the starting lineup.
Difficult Season for Master Seamer
The strategic decision to rest the pacer brings an early end to what has statistically been one of the toughest IPL campaigns of Bumrah’s career.
Fitness Battle: Throughout the 2026 tournament cycle, Bumrah has repeatedly grappled with a persistent, nagging physical discomfort (niggle) that severely disrupted his rhythm and limited his availability on the pitch. Hampered by these physical constraints, the typically lethal death-bowling specialist struggled to make his usual impact, failing to even reach a modest benchmark of 5 wickets over the course of the season.
Also on ABP Live | Sara Tendulkar Gets Emotional After Arjun’s IPL Appearance, Pens Heartfelt Note
With Mumbai Indians out of the playoff race following a challenging tournament run, the management chose to prioritize long-term player longevity, sparing Bumrah from an intense final match so he can fully focus on rest and physical rehabilitation.
