Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggled against NZ. Photo: AP
\n\nBhuvneshwar Kumar forced his way back into Team India after two back-to-back memorable IPL seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The senior pacer scalped 17 wickets in IPL 2025 and followed up with 28 wickets in 2026. RCB ended their title drought and won back-to-back IPL titles. Bhuvneshwar was named in the national squad after four years and returned for the New Zealand tour. He was later added to the T20I squad for the fifth T20I against South Africa as well.
\n\nBhuvneshwar's return hasn't gone the way he would have expected and he only managed one wicket in four games. He was also dropped from the playing XI for one game.
\n\nIrfan Pathan has shared his take on Bhuvneshwar's return and opined that the selectors made a mistake by recalling him to the squad. "In my opinion, where did the selectors go wrong? They made a mistake by playing Bhuvneshwar Kumar in this series. Look, there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar is a good bowler and a senior player. However, playing him here, when the T20 World Cup is nowhere near, was questionable. If you were preparing Bhuvneshwar for the 50-over World Cup…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
