India should keep Jasprit Bumrah fresh for next year’s one-day international (ODI) World Cup by selecting him mainly for test cricket and using the pace spearhead sparingly in other formats, former coach Ravi Shastri said.
Bumrah was recalled to India’s test squad for their two-match series in New Zealand last week, but will not play in the five ODIs and five Twenty20 internationals that precede the tests.
Bumrah’s career has been disrupted by back injuries, with the 32-year-old having to undergo surgery in 2023.
He was ruled out of a two-test series against Sri Lanka in August due to a left knee injury, but returned to T20 action at the Asian Games and helped India win gold.
“I don’t think he should play all three formats till the ODI World Cup,” Shastri, who coached India from 2017 to 2021, told Indian media on Sunday.
“He should play test cricket and should play sporadically between one-day internationals and T20 cricket. He also shouldn’t be playing the whole lot.
“I would rather preserve him for the test matches. That’s very important. He becomes a key member of that Indian side. Then he should be used sparingly in the other formats.”
Following their tour of New Zealand, India will host Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in limited-overs series, before hosting Australia in a five-test series which concludes in February.
The 2027 World Cup will be held in SA, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21.
–Reuters–
