Jasprit Bumrah was in Chennai and we gave him a Rajni treatment: Ravichandran Ashwin

Jasprit Bumrah x Rajinikanth (Photo Source: Instagram)

India has always been known for producing a plethora of world-class batters but Ravichandran Ashwin opined that in recent years, the quality and depth in the country’s bowling resources have gone up by several notches.

Without directly naming the player, the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests for India expressed his admiration for one of his teammates, hailing him as a generational talent.

“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,” said Ashwin while speaking to Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel.

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The Tamil Nadu off-spinner also highlighted the love and respect that the people of Chennai have for bowlers, mentioning an event in the city which saw Bumrah getting a ‘Rajni treatment’, a level of admiration that legendary personalities like Rajnikanth garner.

“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 treat bowlers very nicely. He should be treated as a champion,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin went on to name Bumrah as the most valuable Indian cricketer at the moment. The right-arm pacer won the Player of the Tournament award after India lifted the T20 World Cup after 17 years in June.

“I don’t want to name, but Jasprit Bumrah is the most valuable Indian cricketer right now,” the off-spinner concluded.

Ravichandran Ashwin returns to action against Bangladesh

The 37-year-old, who played his 100th Test earlier this year against England, is all set to return to action for the national team after six months. He is a part of India’s 16-man squad for the first of the two Tests they play against Bangladesh.

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The iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium is all set to host the first Test, starting on Thursday, September 19. India are placed at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table and would want to extend their lead over second-placed Australia with a dominating performance against the Tigers.