Jasprit Bumrah has come all guns blazing in the Cricket World Cup 2023, picking 14 wickets in six matches, including a significant contribution of three wickets against defending champions England.
After battling a stress fracture in his back, which had sidelined him for an extended period and led to doubts about his future in cricket, Bumrah returned to the Indian team as a captain during the Ireland tour.
In a recent interview to Sky Sports, Bumrah revealed how he managed to stay unfazed by the external noise and scepticism surrounding his return. He credited part of his mental fortitude to his wife, Sanjana Ganesan, who works in sports media.
“My wife [the TV sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan] also works in the sports-media department. So yeah, I heard a lot of question marks on my career that I will never come back and all of that, but it doesn't really matter,” Bumrah told Sky Sports after India's win over England.
"Great headspace was there when I came back from the injury. So yeah, eventually I'm looking at the positives and trying to enjoy as much as you can," he added.
The journey of Bumrah's return was marked by a prolonged recovery period, causing him to miss significant events such as the 2022 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. However, three months into his comeback, Bumrah has taken 26 wickets from 13 innings across ODIs and T20Is.
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"It was really good for us because we've been fielding first and we've been doing that for a while now. Because [India chased] in the previous series as well, which I played," Bumrah said after India's first win in the Cricket World Cup 2023 while chasing.
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Bumrah also praised Mohammed Shami, calling him outstanding and a cricket legend. Bumrah noted Shami's calm demeanour and highlighted his exceptional bowling during a recent match, comparing it to a Test match.
"He [Shami] is outstanding. He's, you know, one of the legends of the game," Bumrah said. "I feel he has always been quite calm. He doesn't come out to be flamboyant, but the way he was bowling as if he was playing a Test match and [it] was really, really wonderful to see.