Bhuvneshwar Kumar made an India comeback in Bengaluru last Saturday | PC- AFP
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a sudden comeback for India during the fifth T20I between India and West Indies on Saturday. Although he couldn't bowl a single delivery, the IND vs WI 5th T20I was rain-truncated at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy.
Officially, he returned to the the international circuit after a four-year break, during which he missed 104 T20Is for Team India.
A lot has changed in Indian cricket since then; the Men in Blue have won two T20 World Cups. Not just that, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has lost his jersey number 15 as well.
Why didn't Bhuvneshwar Kumar get No. 15 jersey?
During his return to Team India at Bengaluru, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was seen donning jersey number 78, instead of his usual No. 15 on the back of his shirt.
Just as number 18 is to Virat Kohli, number 7 to MS Dhoni, and number 10 to Sachin Tendulkar, jersey no. 15 has been synonymous with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Even Bhuvneshwar's wife, Nupur Nagar, posted a picture on social media about the fast bowler's jersey change, captioning the back of his shirt: Same same but different.
According to a report by Free Press Journal, Bhuvneshwar had to compromise on his preferred number, as the number 15 is currently occupied by Gurnoor Brar in Indian cricket, even though the young seamer wasn't included in the T20I squad against West Indies.
Why did Bhuvneshwar Kumar prefer number 78 on comeback?
Although there is no clear reason behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar's choice, fans have their own stories behind picking jersey number 78. Since 78 adds up to 15, that could be the reason behind Bhuvneshwar choosing it.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old speedster hasn't made any public comment on the matter.
With injuries becoming a pattern among faster bowlers in Indian cricket, the selectors were left with no choice but to recall Bhuvneshwar. The right-arm experienced speedster will next be seen during the five-match T20I series in New Zealand, starting on October 22 in Christchurch.
After 88 T20Is, the paceman has picked 90 wickets at an economy rate of 6.96, the second best for Indian pacers with ten or more outings.
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