"Preserve him. Protect him. Respect him" - Twitter reacts to Jasprit Bumrah's match winning spell in IND vs PAK 2024 T20 World Cup clash
Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah rose to the occasion and stepped up for the nation when it mattered the most. He delivered a match-winning spell of 3-14, helping the Men in Blue defend a low target of 120, and secure their second win in a row in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The match took place at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York on Sunday, June 9.
India were left with a low score to defend following a dismal performance with the bat. Bumrah had a huge role to play if they had any hope of defending the score, and he lived up to his reputation.
He had the opportunity to strike in his first over itself, but Shivam Dube dropped Mohammad Rizwan in the deep. The pacer struck in his second over by taking the key wicket of Babar Azam.
Bumrah returned to the attack in the 15th over and responded with Mohammad Rizwan's wicket straightaway. The over which only saw three runs being scored arguably brought India back into the contest. He was handed the all-important penultimate over, and he ended up giving away only three runs. Then, Arshdeep Singh dismissed their last recognized batter, Iftikhar Ahmed and secured a six-run victory for India.
Twitter unanimously bowed down to the pacer's exploits following the six-run win. Have a look at some of the reactions on Twitter:
"Preserve him. Protect him. Respect him," one tweet read.
"Bumrah plays for my country. It's a flex, honor and privilege," one fan remarked.
"Bumrah, I bow down to your greatness. I am blessed to watch you bowl," another fan posted.
"You stick to your processes and look to play well" - Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah was adjudged the player of the match for his special exploits, marking the second consecutive time in the 2024 T20 World Cup that he has been given the award. He had finished with a spell of 2-6 in India's eight-wicket win over Ireland.
"It feels really good. We felt we were a little under and the wicket got a little better after the sun came out. We were really disciplined so it feels good. Tried to hit the seam as much as I could, tried to be as clear as I could with my execution and it all came out well so I felt happy," Bumrah said during the post-match presentation.
"Felt like we were playing in India, really happy with the support and that gives us energy on the field. We focus on the now. We’ve played two games and played really well. You stick to your processes and look to play well," Bumrah added.
India are next scheduled to face co-hosts United States of America (USA) on Wednesday, June 12 at the same venue.