Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy can replace Jasprit Bumrah in his absence, says Vivek Razdan | EXCLUSIVE

Team India is ready to play the T20I series against Afghanistan on Sunday, September 13th at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. It’s a three-match T20I series; the other two matches will be played on Tuesday and Thursday.

Ahead of the first clash between India and Afghanistan. In an exclusive interview with India.com, former Indian cricketer and star commentator, Vivek Razdan opened up on team India’s series against Afghanistan and shared key players who could replace Jasprit Bumrah in his absence.

In this series, star Indian player and one of the finest bowlers of all time, who is known for his wicket-taking ability, Jasprit Bumrah, will be back in the team. In his career, injuries remain a big part of his career. That part all created a big chaos regarding his availability and being fit for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027, which is an important one for the Men in Blue.

Vivek Razdan names Arshdeep and Varun as key options in Bumrah’s absence

On this matter, Vivek Razdan opened up on Jasprit Bumrah’s injuries and also revealed that players like Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy can fulfill his role in the team in his absence.

“It is impossible to fill Jasprit Bumrah’s shoes right now. Jasprit Bumrah is Jasprit Bumrah. But the way his action has been, the way the Indian body has endured for so many years, this is a big loss. Because of some injuries, he has to leave the team. But another great thing is that despite the injuries, the way he returns,” Vivek Razdan said.

“If he is not completely fit and is not a part of the team for some reason, then what? I think there is a very important role of a player like Arshdeep Singh. Because if you talk about T20 format, the matches that you will see in the future, he is such a player who has shown that in the initial over, with a new game, and if in the end, when it comes to scoring a bjorker, then he becomes a trustworthy player. Arshdeep Singh. There are other spin players like this,” he said.

“Varun Chakaravarthy is another player who can play such a role in the middle overs, when there is a lot of solidarity. So these are the players that when Bumrah is not in the team, you always keep an eye on these two players that who will fill this gap,” he added.

Razdan backs Sanju to open with Abhishek against Afghanistan

Vivek Razdan also opened up on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as he said for the team, Sanju Samson should be backed as opener by Abhishek Sharma.

“Look, we have four names in the top four. (2:38) Only three of them can play. Now, the problem is that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become such a big name through social media and also because of the activities he did in IPL. Every time we talk about him. But I think it is necessary to show a little patience now because we are talking about Sanju Samson here. You cannot choose Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma. If you talk about the top three, then either Vaibhav or Sanju Samson. Sanju Samson is the player who won the World Cup a few months ago and remained the man of the series.”

“He scored 300 runs with a strike rate of 199. That means a strike rate of 200. So, this becomes a little problematic. In England and Ireland, he didn’t perform well in the first few matches. So, you gave Vaibhav a chance. He also didn’t perform well in the first few matches. So, it is wise to come back to Sanju Samson. And if you look at the top six or seven players of the Indian team, you have Abhishek, Ishan, Tilak Verma, Akshar Patel. So, you have all five or six left-handers. In the middle, you have Shreyas Iyer, who is a right-hander. And Sanju Samson is not a small name that we are discussing. So, I personally think that Sanju Samson should play the first match against Afghanistan, he added.”