Jasprit Bumrah, the fast bowler for Team India, has mentioned that he isn’t burdened by pressure during his return as he doesn’t give excessive weight to others’ opinions.
He emphasized that his focus on the field, after an extended break, will be on performing his best and relishing the game.
Bumrah has been out of action because of a back injury since September 2022. Following surgery in March this year, he has been diligently preparing for his comeback.
During his absence, numerous critics frequently highlighted India’s significant reliance on Bumrah, particularly during challenging times for the team.
However, Bumrah himself minimized the substantial anticipations surrounding his return. He mentioned prior to the T20I series against Ireland:
“I respect people’s opinion, but good or bad, I don’t take them seriously. I don’t want to put the baggage of expectation on myself.”
”Neither do I have unrealistic expectations from myself regarding the load I have to carry. I have never been away from cricket so long. I want to enjoy the game.”
“Other people’s expectations are their problem. My job to enjoy the game, prepare best and put my best foot forward. I am doing that and, hopefully, everything will take care of itself,” he added.
While he was not active in the game, certain analysts expressed uncertainty about the likelihood of the fast bowler making a triumphant comeback.
Some emphasized that his unorthodox technique might exacerbate the situation, as initially predicted during his early career.
Despite this, Bumrah maintained an optimistic outlook throughout his rehabilitation period.
“Sometimes, when an injury takes time [to heal], it gets frustrating. But instead of having self-doubts that I may not be able to recover, I was thinking how to get well soon and come back.”
I was never thinking like things were over or these are my dark days or that I may not be able to make a comeback.“
”I was looking to find solutions to problems and, once I found those, I wanted to work my way up. That was my focus. After the processes were clear, I am back,” he stated.
At the age of 29, the quick bowler will be captaining the Indian squad in the three T20Is against Ireland, taking place from August 18 to 23.
“We enjoyed quite a lot” -Bumrah talks about training at the new high-performance center
During the press interaction, Bumrah also commended the amenities at Ireland’s modern high-performance training center.
When questioned about his encounter with it, the fast bowler responded:
“We had a good training session at the high performance center. We enjoyed quite a lot. The weather was nice. The ground was really well maintained and we liked the wickets as well.”
“There was a little bit of help for the bowlers. They always like to see that. It was a very good session. Everybody was in high spirits, great facilities and very happy with everything.”
The entire T20I series between India and Ireland will take place at The Village in Dublin.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.