"Bumrah playing IPL will give a message that he is fit" - Robin Uthappa 

Former Indian keeper-batter Robin Uthappa believes that Jasprit Bumrah should participate in the upcoming 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) after recovering from his injury. The right-arm pacer has been out of action since the home season in late 2022 but is making progress in his recovery, with a return date expected to be set soon.

Bumrah's injury concerns began during the tour of England in June 2022. He was ruled out of the third ODI at Old Trafford, with Mohammed Siraj replacing him. He then missed out on the 2022 Asia Cup and despite playing in the T20I series against Australia at home, could not make it to the T20 World Cup 2022.

The confusing run of events continued after he was a late addition to the white-ball squad to face Sri Lanka in January 2023, but was withdrawn soon after.

Opining that Bumrah should feature in the IPL, Uthappa said in an interview with the Times Of India:

"I think he should definitely play the IPL. If he plays the entire IPL, it will give him huge confidence in not just himself, but also the team, players, viewers, and supporters ahead of the World Cup. Bumrah playing IPL will give a message that he is fit."

Speaking on the recurring injuries to the pacer and the elongated time frame of his ongoing recovery process, Uthappa added:

"Bumrah must be in a place right now where he wants answers. He must be wondering - 'what is actually going on with me. Why am I not recovering'? The NCA will have to give answers to that. There are huge and amazing rehab facilities. So, NCA will have to give answers to that as in what's happening there, why aren't physios able to get him ready?"

The ace pacer was not named in the squad for the first two Tests against Australia. However, skipper Rohit Sharma stated that he wants the bowler at his disposal for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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"It's been a little bit of a mixed bag" - Robin Uthappa on Rahul Dravid's tenure as head coach so far

Rahul Dravid was appointed as head coach of the Indian side after the T20 World Cup 2021. So far, the norm of workload management has been at the fore, which has received a mixed reaction.

However, newly elected Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny has expressed interest in the prominence of domestic cricket and its output, meaning a potential change in approach going forward.

With ICC events being the priority, Dravid led the team to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022 and has the chance to go one step further in the two ICC events coming up in 2023.

Stating that Dravid is the best candidate to handle such high-pressure situations, Uthappa said:

"It's been a little bit of a mixed bag. I know the effort he is putting in is very much genuine. I am sure he has to deal with a lot of other things as a coach."

Uthappa continued:

It is not easy dealing with Indian cricket because there are so many different cultures and so many different pressures. You would probably feel that Rahul Dravid is one of the best men to handle these things."

The call for split coaching has also been quite vocal, with Dravid's hold across all three formats being questioned. However, decisions for multiple coaches along with the prospect of different captains have been put on hold for now.

Should Bumrah's workload be managed during IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.

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