Ashwin’s call for Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Ravichandran Ashwin, a former India spinner, has advocated for the inclusion of pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in India’s squad for the ODI World Cup 2027. Ashwin believes Kumar’s services will be essential for the tournament, particularly in South Africa, one of the host nations. He urged selectors to initiate communication with the bowler.
Kumar, who is 36, demonstrated strong form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, securing 28 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who were the eventual champions. Despite his recent IPL performance, Kumar has not represented India in international cricket since November 2022, with his last ODI appearance dating back to January 21, 2022, against South Africa.
Ashwin’s suggestion came during a discussion on Cricinfo, where he was asked to select players for India’s World Cup squad. He gave a “yes” to several prominent players, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj. Conversely, he said “no” to players such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Gurnoor Brar.
Players like Mohammed Shami, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were placed in the “maybe” category. Following the initial selections, Ashwin specifically brought up Bhuvneshwar Kumar, stating, “But where is Bhuvneshwar Kumar? He is a yes; I would communicate with him and get him to play all first-class tournaments, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and everything. And get him prime going to South Africa, I think we’ll need him.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s career and selection prospects
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has played in 121 ODIs for India, taking 141 wickets. His best bowling figures are 5/42, with an average of 35.11 and an economy rate of 5.08. He was part of India’s ODI World Cup campaigns in 2015 and 2019, both of which saw India reach the semi-finals.
Despite Ashwin’s endorsement, the current selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has shown a preference for taller pacers capable of higher speeds. This approach suggests that Kumar might face challenges in securing a spot in the squad. Players like Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna are anticipated to feature prominently in the build-up to the tournament, alongside established bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
The ODI World Cup 2027 is scheduled to take place from October 4 to November 21. The tournament will feature 14 teams and will be hosted across 12 venues in three countries: South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
World Cup 2027 venues announced
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the 12 venues that will host the ODI World Cup 2027. These venues are distributed across the three co-host nations.
- In South Africa, the venues include Wanderers Stadium (Johannesburg), Centurion (Tshwane), Newlands Cricket Ground (Cape Town), Kingsmead Cricket Ground (Durban), St George’s Park (Gqeberha), Mangaung Oval (Bloemfontein), Boland Park (Paarl), and Buffalo Park (KuGompo City, formerly known as East London).
- Zimbabwe will host matches at Harare Sports Club (Harare), Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo), and the newly constructed Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium (Victoria Falls).
- Namibia’s venue is the Namibia Cricket Ground (Windhoek).
The tournament will mark the 14th edition of the ODI World Cup. Australia are the defending champions and hold the record for the most titles with six wins. West Indies won the inaugural edition and were the first team to retain the title in 1975 and 1979. Only six nations have won the 13 titles contested so far. New Zealand is the only team to have participated in all editions without winning the trophy. The 2027 World Cup will be played in October and November.
Source: hindustantimes.com
