Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns for India's T20 series against New Zealand
India has recalled experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the upcoming five-match T20 series against New Zealand. Bhuvneshwar, who last played a T20 international in November 2022, earned his spot back in the team following a standout performance in IPL 2026. Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he became the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 28 wickets in 16 matches, just one behind top wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada. His crucial contributions helped RCB clinch the IPL title, and his consistency has been notable, having won the Purple Cap for two consecutive seasons.
Bhuvneshwar's return adds valuable experience to the Indian squad, which will be led by Shreyas Iyer. With 90 wickets in 87 T20 internationals, he boasts an impressive bowling average of 23.10 and an economy rate of 6.96. If he plays against New Zealand, he will become the third oldest specialist bowler to represent India in international cricket. Only Ashish Nehra and Shute Banerjee are older in this category.
Other notable inclusions in the squad are spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who is making a comeback after recovering from a muscle injury, and the exclusion of leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. All-rounder Hardik Pandya and pacer Harshit Rana are unavailable due to injuries. The rest of the team remains unchanged from the ongoing T20 series against the West Indies, featuring key players like Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.