Ravi Shastri voices his opinion on Jasprit Bumrah’s availability across three formats

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri is delighted with the return of veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the Indian T20I squad for the tour of New Zealand. However, he believes that Mohammed Shami also deserved a recall, given his stellar performances in domestic cricket. 

When you have a bowler of Bhuvneshwar’s quality and experience, it’s a no-brainer. With the form he showed in the IPL and his years with India, he’ll be ideal for New Zealand conditions," he added. 

Praising Shami’s form, Shastri noted that he deserved a spot in the side; however, he was not included in the squad for the New Zealand tour—a development that has led to speculation that Shami might never return to the Indian team.

“He’s done enough with both red and white balls to be recalled to the Test and ODI sides,’’ Ravi Shastri Said.

Furthermore, Ravi Shastri emphasized the need to carefully manage Jasprit Bumrah’s workload with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup. He believes India must utilize its experienced fast bowlers judiciously to ensure Bumrah is not overburdened and that the team retains sufficient options for major tournaments.

"I don't think he should play all three formats till the ODI World Cup. He should play Test cricket and should play sporadically between one-day internationals and T20 cricket.” he added.

India’s tour of New Zealand begins on October 22. The six-week tour will feature five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Test matches. According to Shastri, this tour serves as an excellent opportunity to assess the Indian team’s preparations, especially considering that the 2027 ODI World Cup is set to be held in South Africa. 

The selectors have announced two separate squads for the ODI series. Shubman Gill will lead the side for the first three ODIs, while Shreyas Iyer will take charge for the final two. Key Test squad members—including KL Rahul, captain Shubman Gill, Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna—will sit out the last two ODIs to focus on the upcoming two-match red-ball series. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah has not been selected for the ODI squad, as he is part of the setup for the Test series.  

If the Indian team loses the Test series during their tour of New Zealand, reaching the 2027 WTC final will become nearly impossible. With this in mind, several Indian players are currently participating in Ranji Trophy matches. The 2027 WTC final is scheduled for June 2027; to qualify, India must win the Test series against New Zealand—otherwise, they risk missing the final for the second consecutive time. To secure a spot in the WTC final, India needs to win 6 out of their remaining 7 matches.