I Took My Break As An Opportunity To Build My Strength - Jasprit Bumrah

The right-handed fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah ruled the roost in 2018 season and the first half of 2019. Just when Bumrah looked like sealing the top spot in ICC Bowling Rankings across the formats, he sustained a back injury that saw him missing four months of cricket. Finally, in a new season, Jasprit Bumrah is set to take the field in the first T20I against Sri Lanka.

Bumrah did not need surgery, and the fast bowler has made an earlier-than-expected recovery. He bowled in the nets during India’s ODI match against West Indies in Visakhapatnam last month, after which he was included in the squads for the T20I series against Sri Lanka and the upcoming ODI series against Australia.

The intensity was very good – Jasprit Bumrah

Speaking of the same to BCCI. Tv, Jasprit Bumrah explained that a lot of cricket, during his prime, took toll on his body, which also let his hunger down. So, he believes that the break from the team will help him. However, the flamboyant cricketer never stopped following the games of the Indian team.

“Initially, what used to happen is that I was playing a lot of cricket, so the hunger sometimes… it’s difficult to manage that. I was playing regularly, and then I got a break. Then after some time, you want to get back into action as soon as possible. You’re always eager, but I did not want to rush into things. I was always keeping an eye where the team is going, what is happening so that when I am back, I am not too far away,” Bumrah told bcci.tv.

“Very good (first training after coming back). The intensity was very good. You always want to do such sessions, high-intensity. In the fielding session, we did high catches and had run-out sessions. And in the nets, we practiced all the yorkers.

I wanted to improve –

Further, Bumrah said that he never let himself down during the break, as he doesn’t want to rush things. Instead, Jasprit Bumrah concentrated on his strength to be fit and was looking forward to get going when he recovers completely. Bumrah feels that he is completely alright now to make things fall in place.

“It was not very difficult for me (injury layoff). What was happening was, I was never in pain, not a single day I was in pain. I took it as an opportunity to build my strength. What happens when you play regularly is your strength can do down, and your fitness level can go down a little bit.

“I wasn’t looking at it as an injury layoff, but as something where I was planning how to build back my strength, how to improve the things I wanted to improve, take a break, be fresh and be hungry again when you come back, he concluded.

Read More – Jasprit Bumrah prefers Test Cricket Over T20s and ODIs

Well, it would be interesting to see how he would fare for India in the first T20I game against Sri Lanka. He will partner Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar. The first T20I will be played in Guwahati on January 5th.