Mumbai: Happiness arrives when you are least expecting it. Ask Bhuvneshwar Kumar. On Monday, the experienced pacer was named in an Indian squad for Hong Kong sixes, essentially a cricketainment competition for semi-retired players. A day later, the national selectors sent him a reminder that he wasn’t done yet.
Bhuvneshwar was named in India’s T20I squad on Tuesday for the upcoming tour of New Zealand. At 36, the wily pacer will be making his India comeback after nearly four years.
Recently at the UP T20 league, Bhuvneshwar was asked if he was game for an India comeback. “Why would I say no if I get a call? Absolutely ready,” he would say. “Honestly, I cannot say exactly how ready I am. My job is to play cricket. I didn’t come here with the intention of moving to another place or reaching another level.”
Well, that call has now come. And the selectors have elevated him to the higher level.
For Bhuvi this marks a personal triumph, having lost his India spot only two outings after the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final when England bulldozed India by 10 wickets. The UP pacer felt at the time that he has been dropped for good.
But using his artistry with the wrists, Bhuvi found redemption in RCB colours in IPL. He was instrumental with the ball, combining with Australia’s Josh Hazlewood to help the franchise win back-to-back titles in 2025 and 2026. Whether it was swing with the new ball, coming back in the middle in search of a breakthrough, or putting his defensive skills on show at the death, Bhuvneshwar looked all class against world class batters in IPL, only a step below international standards.
In the last IPL, Bhuvneshwar was so good that he finished with his career-best showing, picking up 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95. In the Impact Player era, those were remarkable returns.
Bhuvneshwar’s name would come up for discussions for a national comeback from time to time, but the previous Ajit Agarkar-headed selection committee was more keen on grooming younger pacers. Chairing his first selection committee meeting in an interim role, Pragyan Ojha lifted the age barrier and brought Bhuvi back to possibly form a new ball combination with Arshdeep Singh in New Zealand, with Jasprit Bumrah rested for the T20I series.
At his prime, Bhuvi was doubly dangerous, working with Bumrah in the Powerplay and at the death. Working with Bumrah again for now will have to wait as India’s lead pacer will be more focused on the ODI format. For the crafty pacer from Meerut, this presents an opportunity to prove his international worth all over again.
Bhuvneshwar’s experience will come in handy for the pace quartet picked for the New Zealand T20Is that includes Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav.
In another change to the T20I squad from the one that is playing West Indies, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy returns after injury, replacing leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi. The T20Is will be played from Oct 22 to 27.
Laxman at selection meets
VVS Laxman, Head of the Centre of Excellence, attending the selection meeting came as a surprise to many. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said this will be the norm going forward. “VVS was in the meeting to avoid any miscommunication between the selectors and the COE regarding player injury management. This was a decision taken at the review meeting in Mumbai (that he attended).”
India’s T20I Squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.