‘Why not?’: Ashwin makes strong case for Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return in India ahead of 2027 FIFA World Cup

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (ANI Photo) Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has thrown his weight behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the national set-up, urging the selectors to consider the veteran fast bowler in India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.Ashwin believes that India’s current pace attack lacks the experience needed for a major ICC tournament and pointed to Bhuvneshwar’s recent success with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League as proof that the 36-year-old still has a lot to offer.Bhuvneshwar played a key role in RCB’s back-to-back IPL winning campaigns, taking 45 wickets in the last two seasons. His consistent performances helped the franchise end its long wait for a trophy before successfully defending the title.

CJP Jantar Mantar protest update

Ashwin claimed on his YouTube channel that Bhuvneshwar deserves to be in contention for a place in the World Cup, especially considering his fitness and ability to contribute in various phases of the game.“Why not? With the way our fast bowling stock is right now, there is a bit of a fight. I think Bhuvneshwar Kumar is worth considering. Why can’t you consider him? There is only one difference between Shami and Bhuvneshwar. Bhuvi has been able to hit the park for two seasons together for RCB and he has been able to keep himself fit. Both teams are also quite fit as me and RCB looked to be among the best, they also won the title. I am not saying that you they took him right away, but at least give him a chance and then you decide. He can swing the ball, give you skips and also bat a bit,” Ashwin said.The former spinner also questioned whether India’s relatively inexperienced fast bowling unit would be ready for the pressures of a World Cup campaign. While he acknowledged the promise shown by the younger walk-ons, he felt a mixture of youth and experience would be a more balanced approach.“Just because of the sheer inexperience of the bowling attack, you can consider him. Gurnoor, Prasidh and Prince – is that the bowling you want to play in the World Cup? I’m not too sure. You can have one or two of them. Besides, you have Harshit and Bumrah. So with Bhuvneshwar, he added, experience and youth will work well,” he added.Ashwin further emphasized that India should now focus on settling their pace rather than continuing to experiment as the FIFA World Cup is a year away.According to him, the selectors have already given opportunity to several fast bowlers and should now narrow down the core group while keeping Bhuvneshwar firmly in the conversation.“Now is not the time to develop players, there’s 12 months left. You’ve given Harshit an opportunity and it’s important to know his condition when he’s batting at eight. Gurnoor and Prasidh have got opportunities. But you can’t remove them now and bring in other bowlers. It’s important to identify who your four or five pacers are, three of whom you take to the World Cup.”

Should Bhuvneshwar Kumar be considered for India’s ODI World Cup squad?

More than 3,000 users shared the opinion today

More than 5,000 users have already voted today

More than 3,000 users shared the opinion today

Share an opinion