Ravichandran Ashwin has snubbed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma aside when asked to name the most valuable Indian cricketer at the moment. Ashwin will be in action when India takes on Bangladesh in a two-Test series starting September 19 onwards in Chennai.
Ravichandran Ashwin, 37, from Chennai, has 516 wickets in 100 Tests. Ashwin is anticipated to surpass Anil Kumble, India’s top Test wicket-taker with 619 wickets, by the time he departs from cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin appeared on journalist Vimal Kumar’s YouTube channel and spoke about many things, including his retirement plans and strategies for the upcoming 10 Tests that India will play in the coming months.
During his interview with Vimal Kumar, the journalist asked Ravichandran Ashwin to name one player who is the most valuable cricketer for India in present times. Ashwin snubbed the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and named Jasprit Bumrah as his choice.
Bumrah, who missed the 2022 T20 World Cup and 2023 World Test Championship finals due to a back ailment, returned to competitive cricket in August of last year, and he has been in excellent form since.
He dismissed 20 batters in the 2023 ODI World Cup before taking 19 wickets in four Tests against England earlier this year.
Jasprit Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler: Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin said that he is so glad that India, which is a batsman-dominated country, celebrates Bumrah, who for him is a once-in-a-generation bowler. The 2011 ODI World Cup winner feels Bumrah should be treated as champion.
Ashwin said, “India has always been the country that is a batsman-dominated country, and it’s never going to change. But I am so glad and happy that we are celebrating Jasprit Bumrah. Jasprit Bumrah is a once-in-a-generation bowler. We should celebrate him even more. We Chennai people appreciate bowlers a lot. He was here for an event as a chief guest 4-5 days ago. We gave him a Rajni treatment. We (Chennai people) treat bowlers very nicely. He should be treated as a champion. I don’t want to name, but Jasprit Bumrah is the most valuable Indian cricketer right now.”
Following his outstanding performance with the ball in the second Test against Ben Stokes’ side in Vizag, Bumrah rose to the top of the ICC Test rankings, making him the first bowler in history to be ranked No. 1 in all three formats of the game.
The India-Bangladesh series will commence with two Tests, contested in Chennai on September 19 and Kanpur on September 27. The three T20Is will be contested on October 7 (in Gwalior), 10 (in Delhi), and 13 (in Hyderabad).
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