Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has given a big statement on the pace attack of the current Indian cricket team. Ashwin believes that veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar should not be overlooked and deserves to be considered for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 squad.
The former Indian all-rounder feels that the Men in Blue still do not have a settled fast bowling attack for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next year. And this is where Ashwin feels that India needs Bhuvneshwar in ODI cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin raised questions on India’s fast attack, stressed on the return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
As the Indian think tank and selectors are finalizing their core for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, Ravichandran Ashwin said Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience, fitness and IPL performances make him a strong choice as the team is still looking for the right bowling combination.
The former Indian all-rounder also compared Bhuvneshwar to Mohammed Shami and said that the biggest difference at the moment is fitness, with the RCB fast bowler playing consistently and also making a big contribution to RCB’s consecutive IPL title wins.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Aish Ki Baat’, “Why not? The way our fast bowling stocks are right now, there is some conflict there. I think it is worth considering Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Why can’t you consider him? There is only one difference between Shami and Bhuvneshwar.”
After RCB’s heroics, Ravichandran Ashwin demands India to give chance to Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Cricket pundits have pointed to Bhuvneshwar’s stellar performances for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the last two IPL seasons. He took 45 wickets in 30 matches at an average of 21.87 and an economy rate of 8.56 and played a key role in RCB’s consecutive IPL title wins.
Ashwin further added, “Bhuvi has been able to hit the park and keep himself fit in the two seasons for RCB. Both times, RCB won the title, and he was also among the top three reasons for that. He looks quite fit.”
I am not saying take him immediately, but at least give him a chance and then decide. He can swing the ball, give you overs in the death overs and can also bat a bit. He has a lot of batting ability.” Earlier, Kris Srikkanth had called Gautam Gambhir a “fool” after Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking half-century in Zimbabwe.
India cannot rely only on youth: Ashwin’s big warning
He also expressed concern over India’s current speed options. He said that young bowlers like Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna and Prince Yadav have talent, but they do not have the experience required for a big tournament like the ODI World Cup. He believes that India should combine experienced bowlers with youngsters instead of relying entirely on an inexperienced attack.
Along with Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, Ashwin believes Bhuvneshwar can add valuable balance to the bowling unit. The former Indian spinner also said that with only a year left before the 2027 ICC World Cup, this is not the right time to test new fast bowlers.
Ravichandran Ashwin warns India against experimenting late; Bhuvneshwar Kumar backed for 2027 ICC ODI World Cup
He believes that the team management should now finalize its core pace attack and identify four or five bowlers, three of whom will eventually play in the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.
Ashwin signed off by saying, “Now is not the time to develop players with 12 months left. You gave Harshit a chance, and now it is important to know his position because he bats at number eight. Gurnoor and Prasidh got chances.”
But you cannot remove him and bring in more bowlers. It is important to identify who your four or five fast bowlers are, out of which you will take three for the World Cup. That’s why you should have someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar in your discussions also.
