You are not thinking about yourself, you are thinking about others – Jasprit Bumrah on his captaincy stint against Ireland in the T20I series opener

It was a happy return for Jasprit Bumrah to the international circuit as India fired off to a victory in the series opener against Ireland under the leadership of the ace quick. Not only was Bumrah responsible for leading the lines in the Indian threads but he was also awarded the Player of the Match award for his two-fer against the Irish unit.

His exploits included the big wicket of Andrew Balbirnie as Bumrah retaliated strongly after being hammered away for a boundary in the very first ball, razing through the defences of the Irish opener while following that up with a second as he claimed Lorcan Tucker for a duck.

Talking at the post-match conference, Bumrah said, “Felt very good, so many sessions I did at the NCA, I didn't feel I missed out a lot or was doing something new. Credit to the staff, they kept me in good spirits. You are not thinking about yourself, you are thinking about others out there. Not really nervous but very happy.”

He also shed some light on how the conditions were on the first day, stating, “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 I was very happy. In every game, you would want more.”

Bumrah concluded by talking about the team spirit at the end of the opening fixture, adding, “After a crisis, they played well, credit where it is due. Even when you win, there are areas to improve on. 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.”