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Ravichandran Ashwin advises Jasprit Bumrah to focus on white-ball cricket, highlighting workload concerns and his value to Indian cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah’s workload is a continuous concern (Picture credit: AFP)
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has said that he would advise ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah to just play white-ball cricket, adding that he would want Bumrah to stay away from red-ball cricket unless the situation demands his presence, even as the latter’s workload concerns loom.
Since the five-match Test series against England, Bumrah has played in all of India’s international games, the Asia Cup, two Tests against the Windies, five T20Is against Australia and the two Tests against South Africa.
Bumrah only skipped the ODIs and is now all set to return for the five-match T20I series against the South Africans, starting December 9.
Ever since he missed the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia in January because of a back spasm, the team management has been extra cautious about managing Bumrah’s workload.
As one of India’s biggest match-winners, his fitness remains a top priority.
“I have a great relationship with him. If I were anywhere near him, I would go and tell him, you know what, just play the white ball format. Unless and until we need you, do not step into the Test side,” Ashwin said while speaking to AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
“And that is what I would tell him. But I know him personally. He loves the Test format. He wants to play as long as he can. He knows it is going to be a challenge,” Ashwin said.
“But I think for Indian cricket’s sake and for Bumrah’s sake, I would love to see him play T20 cricket. I would not want him to play meaningless ODIs. I would want him to play meaningful Tests, if that makes sense,” Ashwin added.
“Bumrah is a treasure for India. A unique action which sets him apart, which also gives him a lot of trouble with his physical workload management. And that is how I would view Bumrah in the future,” Ashwin said.
November 28, 2025, 23:05 IST
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