Mumbai : 'I would rather preserve him for the Test matches. That's very important. He becomes a key member of that Indian side.'
Former India coach Ravi Shastri recommends preserving Jasprit Bumrah primarily for Test cricket.
Shastri suggests using Bumrah sparingly in One-Day Internationals and T20Is to manage his workload.
The strategy aims to keep the pace spearhead fresh and fit for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Bumrah's career has been affected by back and knee injuries, necessitating careful workload management.
India should keep Jasprit Bumrah fresh for next year's 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 T20Is that precede the Tests.
Managing Bumrah's Workload
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.
Shastri's Recommendation
"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 South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21.
