“I would love to see him play T20 cricket” - Ravi Ashwin suggests Jasprit Bumrah to skip meaningless Tests and ODIs

Former Indian spinner and analyst Ravi Ashwin has suggested that the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah play only meaningful Tests and give more priority to white-ball games, especially in the shortest format of the game, to elongate his career.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, while calling Bumrah India’s treasure, Ashwin asserted that Bumrah shouldn’t play meaningless ODIs and Tests, and instead, he should focus on T20Is ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

“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. 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 on his YouTube channel.

“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. 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," he added.

It’s important to note that Bumrah was rested for the recently concluded Australian ODI series Down Under. Moreover, he has been rested for the forthcoming ODI series against South Africa, starting on Sunday, November 30, in Ranchi.

On the other hand, the star seamer hasn’t been at his best in the past few contests that he has played. He ended the South Africa and West Indies Tests with eight and seven wickets respectively, and picked up only three scalps in the Australia T20I series. 

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