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Jasprit Bumrah, India's ace fast bowler, has opened up about his mindset during his long injury layoff and his comeback to international cricket. Bumrah, who suffered a lower-back stress fracture in September 2022, was out of action for 11 months before making his return for this T20I series against Ireland.
Bumrah, who will lead India in the three-match T20I series, admitted that the layoff was frustrating, but he did not feel any pressure from the outside to return quickly as he focused on his own recovery and preparation. He said that he was always aiming for the ODI World Cup 2023, which will be held in India in October-November.
Bumrah said, “Sometimes when it takes time for your injuries to heal, it becomes frustrating. But instead of having self-doubts, I was thinking how I can recover faster and make a return. You have to respect the body when it needs time to heal.”
He also said that he did not care what others were saying about him and continued with what was good for him as the pacer said, “I don’t take others’ opinions seriously, even if it’s good or bad, and even if I respect these opinions. I don’t take any pressure off expectations and neither do I put unrealistic expectations about myself. I have come back after a long time and I want to enjoy myself.”
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Bumrah also revealed that he worked closely with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) staff and the team management to ensure that he was fully fit and ready to play. He also confirmed that he is fully fit and bowling at full throttle in the nets and in the practice games he played in.
The first T20I between Ireland and India will be played on Friday, August 18 at Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin. The second and third T20Is will be played on Sunday and Tuesday at the same venue.
