"If You Rush Him...": Ravi Shastri Issues Stern Warning Regarding Jasprit Bumrah

Ravi Shastri has a strict warning about rushing Jasprit Bumrah back to action ahead of ODI World Cup 2023.

Former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri warned selectors against rushing the comeback of star pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah who is still recovering from injury. Bumrah has not played a single game since September 2022 and although there was some hope of his return, he ended up missing the T20 World Cup, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. Shastri said in a recent interaction that rushing his return for the ODI World Cup later this year can end up being bad news for the team and the fast bowler.

"He (Bumrah) is a very important cricketer. But if you rush him for the World Cup then you might lose him for four months later on, much like Shaheen Afridi. So there's a thin line and it needs to be thought about," Shastri toldThe Week in an interview.

Shastri also said that he does not see Hardik Pandya coming back to Test cricket and added that it is a possibility that the all-rounder will become the India white-ball skipper after the ODI World Cup.

"Let's be clear. His body (Hardik) cannot cope with Test cricket. After the World Cup, I feel he should take over captaincy in white-ball cricket. Rohit should lead India in the World Cup, no question there," he said.