Ravichandran Ashwin backs Bhuvneshwar Kumar for India’s 2027 World Cup squad

By Arjun Nair / 31.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 31 July 2026 — 4 min read

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has advocated for the inclusion of experienced seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in India‘s squad for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. Ashwin believes Kumar’s swing bowling capabilities could be vital, especially given the tournament’s conditions.

The 2027 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. A significant portion of the matches is expected to take place in South Africa, where pitches are traditionally known to assist seam and swing bowlers. Ashwin highlighted this factor as a key reason for Kumar’s potential value to the team.

Kumar, who is 36, has not featured for the national team since 2022, with recurring injuries impacting his international career. Despite this, Ashwin expressed confidence in the swing specialist’s ability to contribute, provided he is managed carefully over the coming year.

Speaking on a YouTube channel, Ashwin made a clear statement regarding Kumar’s potential return. He suggested that Kumar should participate in all tournaments, including first-class cricket and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, to prepare him for the conditions in South Africa. Ashwin stated, “Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a yes. I would communicate to him. Get him to play all the tournaments, first-class, Vijay Hazare, everything, and get him primed going to South Africa. I think we will need him there.”

If selected for the World Cup, Kumar would be 37 years old during the tournament, making him the most experienced fast bowler in India’s pace attack. His ability to move the new ball is seen as a crucial asset on seam-friendly pitches.

Kumar’s performance in the IPL 2026 season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru has also reignited discussions about his international comeback. He finished as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker, securing 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 17.89 and an economy rate of 7.95. His spells included incisive opening overs, accurate yorkers during death overs, and disciplined Test-match lengths.

Historically, Kumar has a modest overall record in South Africa, with 19 wickets from 13 international matches at an average of 35.26. However, his best figures of 5/24 in the country demonstrate his potential impact. Across 121 One-Day Internationals, Kumar has claimed 141 wickets at an average of 35.11, with his best figures being 5/42. In total, he has taken 294 wickets in 229 international matches.

Ashwin also outlined his preferred core squad for the 2027 World Cup. He included senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, alongside captain Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, K L Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Jasprit Bumrah. He identified Kuldeep Yadav as India’s primary spinner, with Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj leading the pace attack, complemented by Kumar.

Additionally, Ashwin endorsed two younger players: wicket-keeper-batter Ishan Kishan and Harshit Rana. Rana’s inclusion was based on his height, pace, and ability to generate bounce, which Ashwin believes would be beneficial in South African conditions.

Ashwin remained undecided on several other players, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna. He explicitly ruled out players such as Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Abhishek Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav, and Gurnoor Brar from his proposed squad.

The 2027 ODI World Cup is scheduled to run from October 4 to November 21, featuring 14 teams. This will be the 14th edition of the tournament.

The tournament will be hosted across 12 cities in the three co-hosting nations. Australia are the defending champions, having won the most titles with six victories. The West Indies won the inaugural edition and were the first team to retain the trophy in 1975 and 1979. So far, only six nations have won the 13 titles contested. New Zealand is the only team to have participated in all editions without winning the trophy.

Kumar was part of India’s 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cup campaigns, where India reached the semi-finals on both occasions. India lost in the final of the previous edition in 2023, and also in 2003 when the World Cup was last held in South Africa. India‘s previous titles were secured in 1983 and 2011.

The 2027 World Cup will begin in a little over 14 months.

Source: m.rediff.com