| Year ago people asked if I am finished, now they say I am at my best: Bumrah | | |  Agencies
NEW YORK, June 11: Jasprit Bumrah couldn't help but laugh at how the narrative about him has changed in a year's time - from being someone whose career is finished to the one who is at the peak of his prowess.
In 2022, Bumrah underwent surgery for a lower back stress fracture and missed the T20 World Cup in Australia. Just before his comeback in a home bilateral series, he developed a strain and was out for more than 10 months. As a result, people became sceptical of his ability to handle the workload of three formats.
But Indian cricket's rare gem sealed the lips of 'Doubting Thomases' with 67 wickets across three formats in the last one year, including a match-winning 3/14 against Pakistan in the low-scoring T20 World Cup thriller on Sunday.
"See a year ago, the same people were saying that I might not play again and my career is over and then now the question changed," he said taking a shot at all those who doubted his ability to fight back.
India restricted Pakistan to 113/7 after posting a mere 119 here thanks largely to Bumrah's stupendous performance. He understands the fickle nature of criticism and knows that despite being a cliched phrase, controlling the controllables works best for him.
"For me, I am not looking at whether I am bowling at the best of my ability. I try to solve the problem that is there in front of me. I know it's a cliched answer...But I was trying to focus on what is the best option over here on a wicket like this," the 30-year-old revealed.
"How do I make shot-making difficult? What are the best options for me? So that way, I try to stay in the present and focus on what I have to do."
No baggage of IPL: Outside noise and pressure can gobble one up in a high-stakes game. But its' something that Bumrah successfully avoids by creating his his own bubble.
"Because if I look at the outside noise, if I look at people and pressure and emotion takes over, then things don't really work for me," the 30-year-old explained.
The IPL-17, that concluded last month saw an unprecedented 1260 sixes being hit on tracks that resembled roadways. The 'Impact Player' rule also hurt top quality bowlers who were often dispatched to the stands with disdain.
"When it's bat vs bat, I switch off the TV. I have been a fan of bowling since childhood. When there is a challenge between bat and ball, that is the game I like," Bumrah said. |
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