“Other people’s expectations are their problem, my job to prepare best” - Jasprit Bumrah keen to "enjoy" comeback

Team India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has stated that he is not feeling much pressure on his comeback since he doesn’t take other people’s opinions too seriously. He made it clear that his mindset when he steps onto the field after a long layoff will be to give his best and enjoy the game.

Bumrah, who has been India’s best bowler across formats in recent years, has been out of action due to a back injury since September 2022. He underwent surgery in March this year and has been working his way towards a comeback since.

In his absence, a number of critics often pointed out how heavily dependent India are on Bumrah, especially when the team struggled. The man himself, however, downplayed the massive expectations of his comeback.

He said ahead of the T20Is 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.

During his time away from the game, some experts raised doubts over whether the fast bowler would be able to make a successful return. A few pointed out that his unconventional action may make things even tougher as predicted during the early days of his career. Bumrah, though, remained positive right through his rehab.

“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.

The 29-year-old fast bowler will be leading the Indian team in the three-match T20I series against Ireland, which will be played from August 18 to 23.

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“We enjoyed quite a lot” - Bumrah on training at new high-performance center

During the media interaction, Bumrah also praised the facilities at the new high-training performance center in Ireland.

Asked about his experience of the same, the pacer replied:

“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.”

All three matches of the India-Ireland T20I series will be played at The Village in Dublin.