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There is no valid reason to play Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming away Test series against Sri Lanka, opined former Team India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin. Bumrah is named in the squad for the two-match series, though his participation in the contest is subject to his fitness.
Jasprit Bumrah is among the key talents whose workload has been closely monitored by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to keep the seamer fresh for the elite tournaments. As the ODI World Cup 2027 is nearing, Ashwin stated that playing Bumrah against Sri Lanka, in Sri Lanka, for the Test series could be an avoidable scenario.
Jasprit Bumrah is likely to play against Sri Lanka
BCCI has named Jasprit Bumrah for the Test series, which will be a part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India are currently fifth in the WTC standings with the possibility to make further progression. If the team continues to keep winning in their upcoming WTC fixtures, then the Shubman Gill-led team could secure themselves for the final of the tournament.
As the Indian cricket board and the team itself are looking to make further progression in the rankings, claiming wins in both of the games against Sri Lanka is crucial. To confirm the potential wins, the board named a full-strength squad with the available talents.
Ravichandran Ashwin advises Jasprit Bumrah to skip the India vs Sri Lanka Test series
Multiple top-tier talents have been in rehabilitation phases because of injury concerns; Jasprit Bumrah is among those players whose fitness is under the scanner. Whether he can play in Sri Lanka or not will have to be decided ahead of the series. The India vs Sri Lanka Test series will start on August 14 and the final day of the contest will be on August 27.
Acknowledging the importance of India’s tour of Sri Lanka, Ravichandran Ashwin mentioned that he did not think there would be any need to play Jasprit Bumrah there for the Test matches. The conditions of the pitches are one of the reasons Ashwin mentioned that.
“I'll tell you, I don't think there's a need to play in Sri Lanka. It's a big tour; I'll ask for it. But largely, you see, Sri Lankan tours are spin-friendly. Sri Lanka is dependent on spinners. They don't have a fast bowler with whom they can win,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ravichandran Ashwin put focus on the Sri Lanka pitches
The former cricketer said the match, to be played in Galle, is known for its spin-friendly nature. Colombo, the venue for the second match, is likely to be a slow surface. Overall, spinners are likely to take major roles in the series in comparison to the fast bowlers, and Bumrah is a fast bowler.
“Galle is a spinning pitch. Colombo will come, wherever he is, he'll be slow. So I think spinner-dependent tours, in which Bumrah's role can be less. If he is not entirely fit, I won't risk it. Because my priority is 50 overs,” he added.
🚨Jasprit Bumrah should not be played in the Test series against Sri Lanka- R. Ashwin 🚨
— Indian Cricket 🏏 (@navshar54008403) July 29, 2026
"If Bumrah isn't fully fit, he shouldn't be played in the Test series against Sri Lanka, our priority is the 50-over World Cup and since the pitches in Sri Lanka are spin-friendly anyway,… pic.twitter.com/bniTcLT8ue
