Jasprit Bumrah is all set to make his much-anticipated comeback to the Indian team during the T20I tour of Ireland.

The ace pacer will lead the Indian side in the three-match T20I series, starting August 18. All the games will be played in Dublin.

Bumrah was away from action for almost a year due to a recurring back injury. During this phase, he underwent surgery to treat his lower back issue and missed the Asia Cup 2022, the T20 World Cup 2022 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season.

On the eve of the first T20I against Ireland, Bumrah addressed a press conference and said he was preparing for 50-over events during the rehab, including the upcoming Asia Cup and the World Cup.

“We were mindful of the fact there is no Test cricket till the ODI World Cup. In my rehab as well, I was not preparing for a T20 game. I was always preparing for the World Cup competition.

“I have been bowling 10, 12 and even 15 overs. So I have bowled more overs, that way it becomes easier when less bowling is required. We kept that in mind that we are preparing for one-day competition and not a four-over competition.

“I have lots of overs under my belt. You have to keep working your way up. From where you left, you are little down and you keep working your way up,” Bumrah told reporters.

The right-arm quick is a valuable commodity for Team India across formats but he is not going to let expectations get the better of him.

“I don’t really think about expectations. I just want to go enjoy the game as I have come after a long break. Never been away from the game this long. I am coming back to enjoy as I love this game.

“I am just the same guy (that I was 11 months ago). I always had a lot of belief. I understand I am coming back after a long lay off. I am very happy to be back. Been working really hard at the NCA. It has been a long road. The body feels good and looking forward to some game time,” he said.

When an injury keeps a player away from the game for an extended period, self-doubt can creep in sometimes but Bumrah never entertained negative thoughts.

“When injury takes time to heal, it can be frustrating. Instead of having self doubt, I was thinking how to get fit and make a comeback.

“It is important to give the body time and respect. I never took it as a dark phase and thought my career could be over. I was looking for solutions and when solutions came I was feeling good.

“When you are facing an injury you are trying to solve that problem, not what the world is saying. I wanted to recuperate. You learn to enjoy the game a lot more. I looked it as an off season. So I got to spend time with family. So was looking at the positives. At the same time, I missed being away from action.”

Bumrah also explained how interactions with teammates kept him in good spirits at the NCA during rehabilitation.

“I met a lot of players at NCA. Sometimes things are not in your control. The body needs time to recover and you need to respect.

“When you come back you have the hunger. When you are playing continuous cricket you don’t know what an off season looks like. In this phase, as long as my physical restrictions were over I wanted to work on my fitness and bowling.

“I was following how the team was doing and (it) was good to meet the players,” he remarked.

(With PTI Inputs)