Ravi Shastri Urges India to Prioritise Jasprit Bumrah’s Fitness Ahead of 2027 ODI World Cup

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has strongly advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to manage pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s workload with extreme caution, insisting the 32-year-old should be preserved primarily for Test cricket and used only sporadically in white-ball formats ahead of next year’s One-Day International World Cup. Shastri stressed that managing Bumrah's game time is paramount to safeguarding the fast bowler's long-term international career.

Bumrah was recently recalled to India’s Test squad for their upcoming two-match series in New Zealand, but team management opted to rest him for the preceding white-ball leg, which includes five ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals. The decision reflects ongoing caution from the medical team, who have increasingly sheltered the premier fast bowler from relentless multi-format schedules to avoid recurrence of serious wear and tear.

The right-arm pacer’s career has faced significant disruptions due to recurring physical breakdowns, most notably severe back injuries that required major corrective surgery in 2023. More recently, Bumrah was sidelined from India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka in August following a left knee complaint, before making a successful return in the T20 format at the Asian Games to help secure gold for his country.

Speaking to Indian media on Sunday, Shastri, who served as India’s head coach from 2017 to 2021, highlighted that competing continuously across all three formats is no longer practical for the ace bowler. The veteran commentator insisted that Bumrah should commit primarily to red-ball contests, arguing that his ODI and T20I appearances ought to be strictly limited and handpicked rather than having him play complete series.

With the 2027 50-over World Cup serving as the national setup's focal point, Shastri’s recommendations align with India's broader tactical goal of keeping their most potent match-winner completely injury-free for high-stakes tournaments. How the selectors balance Bumrah's availability across formats in the months ahead will be crucial to India's trophy ambitions.