Bhuvi’s hard work pays off, India return confirm for New Zealand Tour
Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been recalled to the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour, scheduled to start from October 22, 2026. The tour will include five T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests.
The 36-year-old pacer is set to return to the national side after almost four years. His consistent performances in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) have attracted Indian selectors’ attention for a while.
With Jasprit Bumrah missing the T20I series, India needed an experienced bowler who could swing the new ball on the favourable Kiwi pitches, and Bhuvi fit the bill. 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 Powerplay and death overs.
Kumar broke through into the Indian setup with a great reputation and was a consistent part of the team across all formats for a while, but fitness issues and injuries played a huge part in his absence from the national team.
While he hasn’t been able to find his way back in the longer formats, he has been knocking on the door when it comes to T20 cricket. Kumar has played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026, taking 45 wickets across those two seasons. He took 17 wickets in 2025 and then outperformed himself in 2026, taking 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95.
Kumar’s domestic T20 stats are simply sensational: in 332 matches, he has taken 363 wickets at an average of 24.42 and an economy rate of 7.38. He is also a handy batter lower down the order and is capable of getting those crucial 10–15 runs towards the end of an innings. On the international side of things, he has decent numbers: 90 scalps in 87 matches 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 are rare here, almost impossible for players in their thirties, yet Bhuvneshwar Kumar has impressed the selectors with his persistence, hard work, and consistent performances in the domestic circuit. Bumrah’s absence has further worked in his favour.
The New Zealand tour holds a lot of importance as far as India’s preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup are concerned. The World Cup will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, where the pitches will be different from the Subcontinent. Therefore, India will prefer to take more pace bowlers instead of spinners.
Since India will only be playing one away tour (against the West Indies next year) before the World Cup, the selectors will be watching the pace bowlers with a lot of interest. If he does perform well, “Bhuvi” 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.
