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The Indian cricket team is set for a long Test season in the upcoming months, beginning with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh , starting on September 19. Some of the key players are making a return in the home Test season for India and will be looking to continue the Indian dominance in Tests at home. One of the players to look out for in the upcoming Test series for India will be Ravichandran Ashwin. The star off-spinner is one of the crucial players for India in home Tests and will play a major part in the upcoming Test matches.
Ravichandran Ashwin is currently the world’s number one bowler in the Test format, however, in his latest interview, Ashwin heaped praise on the star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. During a podcast with renowned journalist Vimal Kumar’s YouTube channel, Ashwin named Bumrah as the most valuable player of the Indian cricket team. Ashwin said that he is glad that a bowler like Jasprit Bumrah is celebrated in a country which is dominated by the batsmen and called him as a once in a generation bowler.
"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," R 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.
Jasprit Bumrah's 2024 season so far
Jasprit Bumrah has become one of the most crucial players of the Indian cricket team in the last few months. Since his comeback from injury in 2023, Bumrah was one of the leading wicket-takers for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup with 20 scalps from 11 games. He also had a great Test series against England at the start of 2024 where he took 19 wickets from just four matches on ground where there wasn’t much support for the fast bowlers.
Jasprit Bumrah also played a crucial role in India's T20 World Cup triumph, ending their wait of an ICC title. The right-arm pacer was adjudged Player of the Tournament at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he took 15 wickets from eight matches at an economy rate of just 4.17. He gave big breakthroughs to India at crucial moments throughout the tournament and took two wickets in the final against South Africa as India won their second T20 World Cup title after 17 years.
Now, Jasprit Bumrah will be making his return on the cricket field after T20 World Cup final on June 29. He is the part of the Indian squad for the first Test against Bangladesh and will play a crucial role in the upcoming Test season for India.
