Forty five wickets in last two triumphant Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons have once again brought Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the limelight, with a strong demand from all quarters for his India comeback. Having last played for India in 2022, Bhuvneshwar rediscovered himself in the 2025 IPL, claiming 17 wickets en route to RCB’s maiden title.
The 36-year-old raised the bar in the following season with 28 wickets as RCB defended their IPL title. The two-time Purple Cap winner, who proved effective with both new and old ball, missed a record third award for most wickets by just one scalp, but brought him in discussion once again.
With the ODI World Cup next year in horizon, the Indian pacer attack lacks experience baring an injury-prone Jasprit Bumrah. Although the likes of Gurnoor Brar and Harshit Rana are among the young fast bowlers who are being backed, but without Bumrah in the playing XI, the attack looks bleak.
Although the veteran pacer has time and again moved away from such expectations, the right-arm pacer admitted that he would be happy to serve the country if given an opportunity. “I’m not playing to prove anything, but I’d be happy to play for India again,” Bhuvneshwar said on Jatin Sapru’s YouTube channel. I have gone past that time when I used to wait for the next series.”
Bhuvneshwar revealed that he initially believed he could return to the Indian team after receiving a call suggesting he might feature in the next couple of series. However, he later realised that was not the case. While the setback was difficult, he said he eventually came to terms with it.
“Till a few series. Because I had received a call. What they said, based on that, I felt maybe the next two series. But then I realised it’s not what they said. It wasn’t hurtful, because then I knew what was happening, and I made peace with it. It wasn’t easy, but family played a big role,” he said.
The veteran seamer last represented India in the T20I format in November 2022, featuring in the Napier match of the series that followed India’s semifinal exit from the T20 World Cup in Australia.
He also revealed that he knew the 2022 T20 World Cup could be his last global ICC tournament. He recalled having a conversation with his wife Nupur, and told her that he might have played his last World Cup.
“In Adelaide it happened. I came to my room and told my wife. I told this from my experience. In the dressing room, everyone was disappointed. There were a few briefs before we left. But when I came back to my room I told Nupur this was my last World Cup.
“Because what I have seen from my experience, when you lose a tournament like this selectors want to look ahead, and that is fair,” he added. So far, Bhuvneshwar has played 21 Tests, 121 ODIs and 87 T20Is, taking 63, 141 and 90 wickets respectively.
