Former Indian pacer Umesh Yadav has supported the veteran Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the Indian T20I setup and backed the pacer to make it to the ODI World Cup 2027 squad.
Speaking in an exclusive conversation with SportsNext, Umesh said South African surfaces will help Bhuvneshwar and other Indian pacers, adding that he has been exceptional for RCB across IPL seasons.
“I feel that, considering the way Bhuvneshwar Kumar has performed, he should have a place because he has also done very well in the IPL. In whatever season he has played, he has performed quite well. And on the wickets in South Africa, there is no doubt that you get both bounce and swing there, so I feel he is a better option,” Umesh said to SportsNext.
Further, the former Indian pacer picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as India’s pacers for the mega event next year. He also reckoned that Prasidh Krishna can be a part of India’s pace battery, thanks to his effectiveness on bouncy wickets. Later, he also considered a left-arm pace option in Arshdeep Singh.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah. I think Mohammed Siraj is one, and Prasidh Krishna, because the wickets will be bouncy, so Prasidh Krishna’s bounce and pace will be very useful for us on those bouncy wickets. I also feel that having a left-arm fast bowler in the team would be better because Arshdeep Singh has been continuously travelling with the team for so many years. He has been there on every tour and at every major tournament, so he has that experience of swinging the ball. So, he also has a chance of making the squad,” he added.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 starts on October 2, 2027, with the opening Super Series match in Windhoek, Namibia, and runs until the final on November 21, 2027, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
