Jasprit Bumrah makes big statement on his career, time away from game ahead of Asia Cup and World Cup 2023

Add as a preferred source on Google

Jasprit Bumrah, India captain for the 3-match T20I series against Ireland which starts from Friday, August 18, has opened up on his time away from cricket due to his lower back injury.

The Indian pace spearhead is returning back from injury and he will be in action after a 326-day hiatus, leading a young Indian brigade ahead of the upcoming all-important Asia Cup and World Cup 2023.

The 29-year-old said that his time away from cricket taught him a lot, adding that he never thought his career was over. He added that against the negative opinions of others, he never took the period as a dark phase in his life and looked for solutions. Bumrah said his love for cricket increased and he is coming back more hungry.

"When injury takes time to heal, it can be frustrating. Instead of having self doubt, I was thinking how to get fit and make a comeback. It is important to give the body time and respect. I never took it as a dark phase and thought my career could be over. I was looking for solutions and when solutions came I was feeling good," Bumrah said in a press conference ahead of the first T20I on Friday.

"When you are facing an injury you are trying to solve that problem, not what the world is saying. I wanted to recuperate. You learn to enjoy the game a lot more. I looked it as an off season. So I got to spend time with family. So was looking at the positives. At the same time, I missed being away from action," he said.

Jasprit Bumrah said that one needs time to recover from a serious injury. He also revealed that he kept a close watch on the Indian team while himself not being in action.

"I met a lot of players at NCA. Sometimes things are not in your control. The body needs time to recover and you need to respect," he said.

"When you come back you have the hunger. When you are playing continuous cricket you don't know what an off season looks like. In this phase, as long as my physical restrictions were over I wanted to work on my fitness and bowling. I was following how the team was doing and (it) was good to meet the players," Bumrah added.

Bumrah's fitness will be closely monitored during the three T20Is and the management are awaiting a successful comeback for him. The team will be heavily relying on the brilliance of the pacer in the upcoming three months.