IND vs IRE: "In My Rehab, I Was Preparing For World Cup, Bowling 10, 12 And 15 Overs" - Jasprit Bumrah

India National Cricket Team star speedster Jasprit Bumrah has said that during his rehabilitation period, he was preparing for the upcoming 50-over Cricket World Cup at home and his focus was not on preparing for 20-over games.

Bumrah will return to action in the upcoming Ireland tour after an 11-month hiatus due to a lower-back stress fracture. He last played for India in September 2022, before suffering a severe back injury for which he was forced to undergo surgery.

Speaking ahead of his comeback game, Jasprit Bumrah said that he is delighted to be back.

“All good, very happy to be back. Have been working very hard at the NCA. It’s been a long road but yeah, very happy to be back. I’m looking forward to it,” Bumrah said on the eve of the first T20I in Dublin.

The 29-year-old Jasprit Bumrah added that he used to bowl 10-15 overs during the recovery period with the 50-over cricket in focus as two mega events in Asia Cup 2023 and ICC World Cup 2023 are approaching.

“We were mindful of the fact there is no Test cricket till the ODI World Cup. In my rehab as well, I was not preparing for a T20 game. I was always preparing for the World Cup competition,” Bumrah said in the press conference on the eve of the first T20I against Ireland.

“I have been bowling 10, 12 and even 15 overs. So I have bowled more overs, that way it becomes easier when less bowling is required. We kept that in mind that we are preparing for a one-day competition and not a four-over competition. I have lots of overs under my belt. You have to keep working your way up. From where you left, you are a little down and you keep working your way up.”

I am bowling normally. It’s not like I am holding back – Jasprit Bumrah

The leader of India’s bowling attack, Jasprit Bumrah, also revealed that he is bowling full throttle without any restrictions.

“I am bowling normally. It’s not like I am holding back. I have had a few net sessions here. When why rehab got over, I went home and there I was practicing with the Gujarat team as well. There are no restrictions. The weather is better over here, so you enjoy bowling.”

Jasprit Bumrah further said that he took his injury break and recovery period positively without getting frustrated. Although Bumrah admitted that missing out on a few mega-events was disappointing, he enjoyed the off-season with his family.

“I was not really thinking about it too much. Anyways you are facing an injury, so you are trying to solve that problem rather than thinking about what the world is saying or what you have to do. I was just thinking about recuperating and fixing things.

“After the fix happened, I started enjoying my rehab as well. You learn to enjoy a game a lot more. Usually, we don’t get a lot of time off. Probably after 10-11 years, this is the first time in summer I was at home and I spoke to my mother about it.

“I looked at it as off-season, got a lot of time to spend with my family. Looking at the positives. Obviously, it was a little disappointing that you are away from the game. You want to play and contribute. You miss some important tournaments as well, but that’s something that you cannot control, so you can’t be really frustrated about it,” Jasprit Bumrah went on to add.

Jasprit Bumrah will be looking forward to leading India to a victory in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland. The matches are scheduled to be held at the Malahide in Dublin on August 18, 20 and 23.