Jasprit Bumrah, making his return to the Indian cricket team after nearly a year, expressed that he didn’t feel like he missed out on much as he played a pivotal role in India’s victory in the first T20I of the three-match series against Ireland. The match concluded with India winning by two runs through the DLS method due to rain interrupting play at a score of 47/2 in 6.5 overs while chasing a target of 140.

Bumrah’s impact was immediate as he claimed two wickets in his opening over, despite conceding a boundary on the first ball. He first dismissed former Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie and then followed it up with the wicket of Lorcan Tucker. Bumrah’s impressive performance earned him the Player of the Match award, a significant achievement as he became the first Indian captain to receive this honor on his T20I captaincy debut.

Reflecting on his comeback, Jasprit Bumrah stated, “Felt very good, so many sessions I did at the NCA, didn’t feel I missed out a lot or was doing something new. Credit to the staff, they kept me in good spirits,” during the post-match presentation.

WATCH – Jasprit Bumrah Announces His Return With A Bang In His First Over

Discussing the game’s dynamics, he added, “You are not thinking about yourself, you are thinking about others out there. Not really nervous but very happy. There was some swing upfront so we wanted to use it. Luckily we won the toss and it was coming out fine. There was some help due to the weather, so very happy.”

That’s some comeback! 👏 👏

Jasprit Bumrah led from the front and bagged the Player of the Match award as #TeamIndia win the first #IREvIND T20I by 2 runs via DLS. 👍 👍

Scorecard – https://t.co/cv6nsnJY3m | @Jaspritbumrah93 pic.twitter.com/2Y7H6XSCqN

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 18, 2023

While Ireland faced a challenging situation at 59/6, they managed to reach 139/7 thanks to Barry McCarthy’s maiden T20I fifty. India’s innings began with a solid opening partnership by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, but Ireland struck back with quick wickets as Craig Young took consecutive dismissals.

Rain played the role of a spoiler, and India did just enough to secure a victory using the DLS method. Bumrah praised the youngsters for their clinical performance and also commended the enthusiastic sell-out crowd that remained despite the persistent showers.

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Highlighting the team’s confidence and preparation, he mentioned, “Everybody is very confident, they are very well prepared. I think the IPL also helps. It is always good, wherever we go, they support us, that helps us to keep the spirit high,” concluding his thoughts as India’s first bowler T20I captain.

With this win, India takes a 1-0 lead in the series and aims to seal the series in the second T20I, which is scheduled at the same venue on Sunday.