T20 WC: 'Let the game come to me', Bumrah on his winning mindset

Jasprit Bumrah, 'Player of the Match' in India's T20 World Cup final win, spoke on his changed mindset. His 4-fer, along with batting from Samson and Abhishek, helped India beat NZ, securing the title in Ahmedabad.

'Let the game come to me': Bumrah on his winning mindset

Following his side's T20 World Cup title win, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah spoke about his mindset before the tournament, where he felt he was "trying too hard" while during the tournament, he just "let the game come to him". He also expressed happiness at winning the 'Player of the Match' title at his home venue in Ahmedabad. Besides top-order exploits by Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, a four-wicket haul by Jasprit Bumrah and three-fer by all-rounder Axar Patel put Kiwis under Team India's vice grip, securing a 96-run win to secure the third T20 World Cup title at Ahmedabad, exorcising the ghosts of 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final loss against Australia at the same venue under captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Bumrah ended the tournament as the joint-highest-wicket-taker with 14 scalps in eight matches at an average of 12.42, with an economy rate of 6.21, with best figures of 4/15 coming in the finals. He also secured the 'Player of the Match' title.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Bumrah said, "Feels extremely special because I have played one final in my home venue, but could not win that one (in 2023), but today I won. I knew wicket was a flat one, so I had to use all my experience. Before this tournament, I was in that zone where I felt I was trying too hard because I was bowling well, but I felt I was trying too hard. This tournament, I just tried to let the game come to me, and that worked really well. My individual assessment has always been my strength, and getting MOTM at my home ground in a World Cup final, it does not get better than that." Bumrah also spoke on his slower deliveries. Bumrah said that it was his experience that bowling too fast could make shot-making easier for batters, which made him turn to slower, pace-off deliveries. "So just played smart, and tried to think of what the batsmen were trying to do. [On the bowling group] Whenever we discuss, they always come up with options. And when communication is needed, we did that. We never panicked. Kept our heads above the water. Teams that do that win the tournament, and I am very happy we did it."

T20 World Cup Final: How India dominated New Zealand

Coming to the match, NZ won the toss and elected to field first. However, a return-to-form, record-breaking fifty from Abhishek Sharma (52 in 21 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and his 98-run stand with Samson made NZ regret the decision. Later, Samson stitched a century stand with Ishan Kishan (54 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) to take India past the 200-run mark in the 16th over. After a brief slowdown, Shivam Dube (26* in eight balls, with three fours and two sixes) made some valuable runs to take India to 255/5, the highest total in T20WC finals. James Neesham (3/46) was the leading wicket-taker for NZ. In the run-chase of 256 runs, Axar Patel (3/23) and Jasprit Bumrah (4/15) reduced the Kiwis to 72/5, despite a half-century from Tim Seifert (52 in 26 balls, with two fours and five sixes). Despite a brief partnership between Daryl Mitchell (17) and skipper Mitchell Santner (43 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes), India kept chipping in with wickets, and the Kiwis were bundled out for just 159 runs. (ANI)

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