Jasprit Bumrah took only two balls to get his first international wicket in about 11 months for the Indian cricket team. His return was an eagerly anticipated one for the side ahead of the Asia Cup 2023 and the World Cup 2023.
And against Ireland Bumrah made it extra-special by returning with figures of 2/24 to grab the player-of-the-match award on his international return, on Friday said he was not nervous and never felt he "missed out a lot".
Bumrah took the wickets in the first over itself. Bumrah last featured for India exactly 327 years back in a bilateral T20I series at home against Australia.
A back injury would rule him out from the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, with the pacer undergoing surgery and beginning a prolonged rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy. "I was not really nervous but very happy to be back," Bumrah, who returned with 2 for 24, said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "When you're captaining you are thinking more about the whole team and not just your own performance." Captaining a second-string side against Ireland in Malahide here on his comeback, Bumrah led India to a two-run win over Ireland by DLS Method in the first T20I of the three-match series. "I felt very good.