Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has showered accolades on Jasprit Bumrah for his splendid performance in the first T20I against Ireland on Friday, August 18. Bumrah's emphatic return to the international cricketing arena on August 18, 2023, after almost a year's break due to injury, was a highlight of the match.
Bumrah's spell against Ireland can be best described as top-notch. Garnering the title of the Player of the Match, Bumrah exhibited disciplined bowling which paved the way for India's dominant win. His impressive figures read 2/24, which included a staggering 16 dot balls during his four overs. While his first delivery may not have gone as expected, Bumrah made an instant comeback, scalping two wickets in the very first over, thus setting the stage for India's performance.
The commendable bowling display by Bumrah wasn't just a deterrent for the Irish team, restricting them to a score of 139/7, but also bolstered India's morale for the win.
Reflecting on Bumrah's performance, Chopra, in his discussion on YouTube – as mentioned by Sportskeeda, couldn't help but express his admiration. He remarked, "Boom Boom - two wickets in the first over. You would have got a smile on your face, even I had one. What did you want from Jasprit Bumrah? You wanted high pace, intensity, accuracy and that everything is alright. He looks good."
Elaborating further, Chopra stated, "India won and even better than India winning was Bumrah's comeback and my Player of the Match is Jasprit Bumrah. He did an amazing job in the first over itself. I had said Bumrah will pick up a wicket in his first over. Bumrah picked up wickets in the first over, not one but two. Well done Jasprit Bumrah."
The former cricketer also gave a nod to Bumrah's leadership skills during the match, highlighting his knack for handling the team. Chopra concluded, "Bumrah was away from cricket for a long time but he still has pride, he is very, very good. He bowled extremely well and I would say he also captained well. He rotated his bowlers very well although a few extra runs were scored in the end."
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