'Respect people’s opinion, but don’t take it seriously' - Jasprit Bumrah reveals secret behind staying focused

India won the opening ODI match against England by 10 wickets at The Oval on Tuesday as Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah took six wickets while conceding just 19 runs from his brilliant 7.2 overs. He won the Player of the Match award and now returned to the No. 1 position in ICC ODI bowlers rankings.

The 28-year-old star overtook Shaheen Afridi and Trent Boult and now ranks first with 718 points. He ranks 28th in T20I rankings after appearing in just one T20I match in India’s last ten fixtures. He is placed in the number three position in Test rankings after taking five wickets in the last match against England.

After the match, the right-arm pacer said that he stays focused despite the noise around him. England lost the toss and were forced to ball first at the Oval’s pace-friendly pitch. Bumrah continued his red-hot form by taking two big wickets of Jason Roy and Joe Root in his first over. He also dismissed Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone to shatter the English batting lineup and took two more wickets to end the hosts’ innings on just 110 runs.

I enjoy every format: Jasprit Bumrah

“I like to stay in the present. Nowadays, there are a lot of opinions and noise that can impact you and create confusion as a player. I try to focus on my evaluation and my preparations. I work on my processes and accept whatever the result is,” said Bumrah in the post-match conference.

“I don’t think on the lines of I am very good in this particular format or how good I am and so on. I enjoy every format. Obviously, I respect people’s opinion, but I don’t take it seriously, whether it is good or bad. Very grateful for the applause that I get, but I always try to keep a stable head.

“That’s the beauty of cricket. One day, you feel everything is going in your favour. On another day, nothing you try works. That’s why it’s important to be stable. Every day is a new day. Sometimes you will get an edge with the first ball. Another day, you will bowl the whole day and not find the edge even once,” he added.