After four years away, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in the India set-up. The veteran pacer was picked for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, beginning October 22 and is expected to lead the attack in Jasprit Bumrah‘s absence.
He delivered a strong performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) across the last two editions, scalping 45 wickets (including 28 wickets at an average of 17.89 in 2026). The biggest change in Bhuvneshwar over the last two seasons of the T20 tournament was his improved ability to increase his pace at the death. Before the 2025 season, the right-arm pacer was losing a bit of steam at the death; however, the stint with RCB changed everything. He became equally potent at the start and the death, bowling consistently in the mid-130s.
The 36-year-old’s return also has many wondering if the T20I opportunity could lead to a 2027 ODI World Cup call-up. Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj and Mohammed Siraj have all been tried. Runs came at a rapid pace for the Windies, with the visitors even chasing down the target of 352 in the final ODI.
As soon as Bhuvneshwar was named in the squad, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin predicted that the pacer might very well share the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah when India plays its first World Cup match against Australia on October 7, 2027.
“He is going to New Zealand now. I am telling you, if he does well, everyone will immediately say, just take him for the ODI team as well. The selectors will be watching very closely. If he swings the ball and shows decent fitness, nobody can stop Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from sitting together on that flight to the World Cup, with Bhuvneshwar bowling the first ball of the World Cup,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
But can Bhuvneshwar be parachuted into the ODI setup based on strong T20I performances? Well, it has happened before. Strong IPL stints have led to India call-ups across formats, and many examples support this.
Lacking game time?
However, the biggest thing going against Bhuvneshwar is his lack of game time in the 50-over format. He last played an ODI for India in January 2022, and his last List-A match for Uttar Pradesh came way back in December 2023. Over the last two years, he has turned into a T20 specialist, not playing any red-ball game either.
If Bhuvneshwar indeed harbours the dream of playing the 50-over format, he must play the Vijay Hazare Trophy later this year. The tournament will give the pacer and the selectors a clear indicator whether the speedster’s body can take the load of bowling 10 overs in a game.
However, former selector Saba Karim doesn’t believe Bhuvneshwar was brought back into the mix for the 2027 ODI World Cup, saying the move might have been driven by the shortest format and the next T20 World Cup in Australia in 2028.
“I somehow believe that the selectors are looking at him only for T20 internationals, not for one-day cricket. Because we see so many youngsters who have come through the system now and have been given adequate chances. And I think this is the building stage right now for the upcoming World Cup 2027. And I think most of the youngsters whom we have seen, we basically need to zone in on about five pace bowlers who can do the job for India in the World Cup,” Karim told HT.
“He deserves the T20I call-up because I’ve been watching him closely for the past 2-3 seasons while covering the UPT20 as well as the IPL. So one has seen the difference in Bhuvi. And I think the selectors feel at this stage they need one more experienced bowler. Keeping in mind the injury woes of Jasprit Bumrah. Someone who has performed so well in IPL for the past 2-3 seasons. On top of that, his domestic performance. So I think that is why the selectors have gone back to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, especially for T20Is,” he added.
Ultimately, however, it will come down to how Bhuvneshwar performs on the field. As they say, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
