Bhuvneshwar Kumar Himself Reveals His Take On India Comeback

Bhuvneshwar Kumar playing for India [Source: AFP]

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, one of the veterans of the Indian cricket team, disappeared from the international scene following his dip in form, speed and aggravated back and knee injuries. 

His exit from the Men in Blue in 2022 was followed by a bright potential return as he reignited his wicket-taking passion while playing for the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged 28 wickets in IPL 2026 to become the highest wicket-taker of RCB after a successful 2025 season where he bagged 17 scalps. 

This illuminated comeback in cricket has now ignited another question for the in-form bowler, which is his possible India comeback. Now, Bhuvi himself answered what lies in front of him.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar shares his own verdict on India comeback 

Bhuvneshwar spoke up about the possibility of his return in a video shared by two vloggers on Instagram. The video has garnered quite a lot of attention on the internet, as Bhuvi expressed his wish to make a comeback in the Blues.

The host of the video asked Bhuvneshwar about how every cricket fan, especially Indian fans, wants to see him make a comeback to the national team. In response, the RCB pacer said, "Man to mera bhi hai. (I want to as well)"

Following up on that reply, the anchor then spoke about how Bhuvneshwar took four wickets for 10 runs in the UP T20 Qualifier between Meerut Mavericks and Lucknow Falcons. 

He also added that it would be great if Bhuvneshwar could produce such performances in the India jersey as well.

Bhuvneshwar smilingly replied, "Ho jayega to achhi baat hai. (It will be good if it happens)"

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Why is Bhuvneshwar’s India comeback case strong now?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has only gotten better with age. At 36 years old, Bhuvi has produced consistent performances for the team, while already garnering 14 wickets from 11 matches in the current UPT 2026 league. 

As a T20 bowler, he has maintained an economy rate of 6.11 in the tournament while having a four-wicket haul and a three-wicket haul. IPL 2026 was an exceptional story for Bhuvi, who bowled at an economy rate of 7.95 while striking at 13.00. 

With multiple three-wicket hauls in the tournament, Bhuvneshwar was reminiscent of why he was one of India's prime swing bowlers back in 2016 and 2017.

More importantly, Kumar's overall IPL stats have shown that he is a lethal bowler in the death overs, where his strike rate from overs 17 to 20 stands at just 13.0. 

His powerplay ability to swing the ball with the new ball is also commendable, as he has taken 103 wickets from the 213 matches in which he bowled during the first six overs.

[Bhuvi's IPL 2026 stats]

Overall, Bhuvneshwar Kumar can utilise both the new as well as the old ball well, making him a valuable asset to whichever team he plays for. However, whether he can make a comeback to the national team remains a puzzle.

Is it possible for Bhuvi to play for India again?

Even in the best possible scenario, a comeback for Bhuvneshwar in the India jersey seems unlikely. The BCCI is already fed up with too many selection puzzles where a pool of fast bowling talents is already lined up for a call-up.

Age is also not on Bhuvi’s side since the bowler is nearing his limit of physical exhaustion as a fast bowler. A fresh chance for him in the Playing XI for India is not a feasible option for the BCCI who is looking forward to fresh faces in the squad who can stabilise the team in the long run.

Bowlers like Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, and Prince Yadav are on the team management’s radar, whom they would want to nurture as future fast bowlers. Hence, a fresh call-up for Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the India squad across any format seems unlikely, despite his recent IPL heroics.  

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