Jasprit Bumrah gets an enormous recognition from one of his competitors in front of Rohit Sharma

New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee lauded Team India ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah for his exceptional performances since returning from a major back injury.

Tim Southee stated that Jasprit Bumrah performed "even better than what he was" before missing the major part of 2023 due to a back injury.

Jasprit Bumrah is currently enjoying a well-deserved break from international cricket. The fast bowler was rested from the recent Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka tours.

Most regular players are set to play in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, but Bumrah is notably absent from any cricketing activities at the moment.

Bumrah has been given rest so he can be fully prepared for the five-match Test series against Australia later this year.

The Rohit Sharma-led team’s next assignment is the two-match Test series against Bangladesh on home soil. The upcoming Test matches will be played in Chennai and Kanpur, respectively.

Jasprit Bumrah Is Tremendous Across All Three Formats - Tim Southee

At the Ceat Cricket Rating Award, Tim Southee highlighted how challenging it is to excel in multiple formats of the game after returning from a major injury. Southee said that Bumrah has performed even better than before the injury layoff.

"To be able to firstly bounce back from the major injury and come back, he's even better than what he was beforehand. Throw in on top of that, having to juggle multiple formats, can be difficult at times as well," Southee said on the sidelines of the Ceat Cricket Rating Award on Wednesday.

The New Zealand all-format cricketer Tim Southee said that Jasprit Bumrah's experience helped him return refreshed and perform at an exceptional level. Southee described Bumrah as the best all-format bowler across the world.

“He seems to have been able to do that with ease as well. He's probably more experienced and understands his game a bit more. He probably had that time where he was injured to come back and be recharged, refreshed.”

"We are just seeing a great version (of Bumrah) across all three formats. He's brilliant across all three at the moment. I don't think there's anyone better than him, he is tremendous across all three (formats)," Southee added.

Jasprit Bumrah Last Seen In Action During T20 World Cup 2024

Jasprit Bumrah has been exceptional since his return in August 2023. The right-arm pacer played a crucial role in the 2023 ODI World Cup, taking 20 wickets in 11 games at an average of 18.65 and an economy rate of 4.06. However, the Men in Blue fell short of winning the title after losing to Australia in the final.

Bumrah also delivered equally impressive performances in India's T20 World Cup 2024 winning campaign. He took 15 wickets with an economy rate of 4.17, the best among bowlers who delivered over 100 balls in the tournament. Bumrah was awarded "Player of the Tournament" for his exceptional performance.

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