Ravichandran Ashwin names THIS player as the ‘most valuable Indian cricketer’, not Virat Kohli

New Delhi: Leading India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed Jasprit Bumrah as a "once-in-a-generation" bowler. The veteran cricketer praised Bumrah's exceptional performance during the recently concluded T20 World Cup, highlighting him as a standout player for Team India. Ashwin highlighted Bumrah's swift bowling skills and described him as one of the biggest assets for the Indian team. After a successful return to the T20 format, Bumrah is set to make a comeback into the Indian team for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. The 30-year-old pacer has earned a spot in India's Test squad for the upcoming series, starting at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on September 19. Ashwin's commendation further solidifies Bumrah's reputation as a top-tier bowler for the Indian cricket team.

During an interview on Vimal Kumar’s official YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin remarked that India has traditionally been a batsman-dominated nation. While expressing his admiration for Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwin emphasized that everyone should “celebrate” the star pacer for his exceptional contributions to Indian cricket.

“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,” Ashwin said.

“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,” he added.

Since his Test debut in 2018, Jasprit Bumrah has played in 36 matches, amassing an impressive tally of 159 wickets.

The second Test between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to take place in Kanpur, starting on September 27.

Indian squad for the first Test against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.