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Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a big statement on the current India National Cricket Team pace attack. Ashwin believes that the experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar should not be ignored and deserves to be considered for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 squad.
The former Indian all-rounder feels 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 that’s where Ashwin feels India needs Bhuvneshwar in ODI cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin raises questions over India's pace attack, pushes Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return
As the Indian think tank and selectors are finalizing their core for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027, Ravichandran Ashwin said that Bhuvneshwar Kumar's experience, fitness, and IPL performances make him a strong option because the team is still searching for the right bowling combination.
The former Indian all-rounder also compared Bhuvneshwar with Mohammed Shami and said the biggest difference at the moment is fitness, with the RCB seamer managing to play continuously while also making a huge contribution to RCB's back-to-back IPL title wins.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel 'Ash ki Baat,' “Why not? The way our fast-bowling stocks are right now, there is some struggle there. I think it is worth considering Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Why can you not consider him? There is only one difference between Shami and Bhuvneshwar.”
Ravichandran Ashwin demands India chance for Bhuvneshwar Kumar after RCB heroics
The cricket pundit has pointed to Bhuvneshwar's excellent performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) over 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 back-to-back IPL title wins.
Ashwin further added, “Bhuvi has been able to put himself on the park for two seasons together for RCB and has been able to keep himself fit. Both times, RCB won the title, and he was also among the top three reasons for that. He looks fit enough.
I am not saying to take him straightaway, but at least give him a chance and then decide. He can swing the ball, give you overs at the death, and bat a bit as well. He has a lot of batting ability.” Earlier, Kris Srikkanth called Gautam Gambhir "fool" after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's record-breaking fifty in Zimbabwe.
India can't rely only on youngsters: Ashwin's big warning
He also expressed concern over India's current pace options. He said young bowlers like Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, and Prince Yadav have talent, but they don’t have the experience needed for a tournament as big as the ODI World Cup. He feels India should combine experienced bowlers with youngsters instead of depending completely on an inexperienced attack.
Along with Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, Ashwin believes that Bhuvneshwar can add valuable balance to the bowling unit. The former Indian spinner also said that with only around a year left before the 2027 ICC World Cup, this is not the right time to keep testing new fast bowlers.
Ravichandran Ashwin warns India against late experiments; backs Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 2027 ICC ODI World Cup
He believes that the team management should now finalize its main pace attack and identify the four or five bowlers from whom three will eventually play in the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.
Ashwin signed off by saying, “It is not the time to develop players now with 12 months to go. You gave Harshit an opportunity, and it is important to know his status now as he bats at eight. Gurnoor and Prasidh got opportunities.
But you cannot remove them and bring more bowlers now. It is important to identify who your four or five pacers are, out of which you will take three for the World Cup. That is why you must have someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar in discussions as well.”
