Bhuvneshwar Kumar's India Comeback Backed By IPL Legend

Bhuvneshwar Kumar backed for India comeback [Source: AFP]

Veteran Indian swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a masterclass in the IPL 2026 game between MI and RCB that encouraged an ex-legend to back his comeback into the Indian national team.

Playing for RCB, Kumar bowled beautifully in the first innings at Raipur by picking up a four-wicket-haul. His wickets included the top order of MI featuring Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.

Ashwin wants to see Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in national colours

Not only that, with 15 runs needed off the final over to win, Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored a crucial six with the bat to guide RCB to a last-ball victory.

After his heroics, former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He backed Kumar for a comeback into India’s T20I side as he believed the 36-year-old still possesses elite control with the new ball and at the death.

"Hashtag 'BringBackBhuvi', I would love to see him being considered for the T20I side. Tick with the new ball, able to complete the death overs nicely, and if you need a six under pressure, he is hammering that as well in the toughest part of the ground,” Ashwin said on the Jio Hotstar show.

Ashwin also described Bhuvneshwar’s spell as proper Test-match bowling, explaining that the veteran quickly recognised assistance in the surface and continuously challenged batters with disciplined lines and movement.

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“That was proper Test-match bowling after he realised there was something in the surface. He keeps testing you as an opening batter," he added.

When did Bhuvneshwar Kumar last play for India?

In his prime, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was one of India’s best swing bowlers. However, he drifted away after a few injury setbacks. Interestingly, the pacer last played for India during the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England.

Since then, he has been consistently playing domestic cricket and the IPL. If things fall in place like Ashwin hopes, Bhuvneshwar could stand a chance at donning the blues again for India.

Currently, in IPL 2026, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the Purple Cap with 21 wickets in 11 games at a 15.29 average. Owing to his contributions with the ball, RCB are seated at the top of the points table.

RCB stun Mumbai Indians in low-scoring thriller

That being said, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s master class with the ball restricted the Mumbai Indians to just 166 runs in the MI vs RCB clash held at Raipur on May 10.

The chase, however, was shaky for RCB as they lost 3 wickets for just 39 runs on the board. Virat Kohli again succumbed to a golden duck.

But Krunal Pandya stepped up with a match-winning knock of 73. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also scored a six in the last over as RCB chased down the total on the last ball of the innings.

With that, the Mumbai Indians stand eliminated from the playoff race, while RCB grabbed the top spot with 14 points.

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