Jasprit Bumrah's hard-hitting message after match-winning spell against Pakistan: 'A year ago, the same people said...'

Premier India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has shut down critics who were raising questions about his future a year back when he was recovering from a back injury. Bumrah underwent back surgery and missed a major chunk of cricket, including the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 World Test Championship final. He made a return to competitive cricket with the Ireland tour last year and performed well in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2024.

Bumrah, who has been unstoppable, continued his red-hot form and produced a breathtaking spell against Pakistan in a T20 World Cup match on Sunday. He claimed three wickets for just 14 runs in four overs, blowing away the arch-rivals in a low-scoring thriller. India defended their lowest-ever total in T20Is - 119, with Bumrah making a massive difference.

After the match, Bumrah hit back at those who doubted his resilience and determination. "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," Bumrah said in the post-match press conference.

Talking about his performance against Pakistan, Bumrah asserted that he was only looking to solve the problem with the best option available on the tricky New York pitch while defending a moderate target.

"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," he explained. "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."

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The 30-year-old held his nerves in the pressure situation and delivered a three-run penultimate over, where he also took the crucial wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed. No stranger to bowling in crunch situations, Bumrah shared his mindset about handling the outside noise.

"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 said.

The conditions in the ongoing T20 World Cup are not the same as this year's IPL, where the flat tracks didn't provide any assistance to the bowlers and Bumrah was elated with the big change in New York.

"Obviously, the IPL that we played was not very bowler-friendly but we are very happy that we didn't come here with that baggage," Bumrah noted.