Bhuvi’s hard work pays off, returns to Team India for the New Zealand Tour
Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been recalled to the Indian T20 squad for the upcoming New Zealand Tour scheduled from 22nd Oct 2026. The tour will include five T20 Internationals, three One-Day Internationals and two Test matches.
The 36-year-old pacer has marked a return to the National side after almost four years. His consistent performances in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) attracted the Indian selectors. With Jasprit Bumrah missing the T20 series in New Zealand, India needed an experienced bowler who could also swing the new ball on the favourable New Zealand pitches and Bhuvneshwar Kumar could just be the right man for the job. He has the ability to swing the new ball both ways and even though he doesn’t have express pace, he has a lethal in-swinger and doesn’t concede many runs in the power-play or the death overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke through into the Indian team with a great reputation and was also a consistent part of the Indian set-up in all formats for a while but fitness issues and injuries have played a huge part in his absence from the National team. While Bhuveshwar Kumar hasn’t been able to find his way back in the longer formats, he has been knocking on the door for the T20 format. Kumar has played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning two back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026. He has taken 45 wickets over the last two IPL seasons. He took 17 wickets in 2025 and then outperformed himself in 2026, taking 28 wickets with an economy-rate of 7.95, helping RCB defend their IPL title.
Kumar’s T20 domestic stats are simply sensational. He has played 332 T20I’s and taken 363 wickets with an average of 24.42 and an economy-rate of 7.38. Bumrah is also a handy batter lower down the order and is capable of getting those crucial 10-15 runs towards the end of the innings. In international cricket as well, he has decent numbers in the shortest format. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has played 87 matches, taken 90 scalps at an average of 23.10 and an incredible economy-rate of 6.96.
We all know the level of competition for places in the Indian national side. Second chances in Indian cricket that too for players in their 30’s is almost impossible but Bhuvneshwar Kumar has impressed the selectors with his persistence, hard work and consistent performances in the domestic competitions and the IPL. Bumrah’s absence has certainly worked in his favour but Kumar has
The New Zealand tour holds a lot of importance for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup as well. The World Cup will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The pitches will be different from the sub-continent and therefore, India will prefer to take more pace bowlers instead of spinners. Since India will only be playing one away tour to the West Indies next year before the ODI World Cup, the selectors will be watching the pace bowlers with a lot of interest. If he does perform well, he could be on that very important flight to South Africa next year and it could be a great opportunity for him to write his own comeback story in style.
