Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 'Proud of India comeback but never chased it' – Return to T20Is at 36, IPL credit and the story of a changing bowler

Wellington: Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has made a comeback in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Returning to the national team at the age of 36 after a gap of nearly four years, Bhuvneshwar said he never chased the comeback; it happened on its own. He gave full credit to his IPL performances over the last two years. However, his performance in the third T20I in Wellington was mixed – he recorded figures of 0/49, 1/50 and 0/40, with an economy of around 11.58. India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, but New Zealand's batters kept the pressure on India's bowling. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's comeback story is a talking point in the cricket world. Once a key part of India's T20I team, he was ignored for a long time. When he was picked for the New Zealand tour at 36, questions were raised about whether he could meet the demands of modern T20I cricket. He himself admitted that he never pushed for selection. "I am proud to play for India, but I never chased the comeback," he said. "When you perform, things happen automatically. The two years of IPL changed everything for me. I give full credit to the IPL." According to Bhuvneshwar, consistent performances in the IPL boosted his confidence and caught the selectors' attention. Reports suggest he took 17 and 28 wickets in the last two IPL seasons. However, there is some ambiguity over the franchise attribution – it is said his long tenure was with Sunrisers Hyderabad and he later joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru. A 28-wicket season, if accurate, would be an elite one, as the top wicket-takers in the IPL usually finish around 22-26. But since these numbers have not been independently verified, they should be treated with caution. In the third T20I in Wellington, Bhuvneshwar's bowling can be divided into three phases. In his opening over, he beat Tim Seifert's edge and twice deceived Finn Allen with the new ball, but got no wicket. In the 13th over, Bevon Jacobs hit two boundaries off his wide yorkers. In the 18th over, he conceded 9 runs, including a wide and a four off a low full toss, but finished with three singles and a dot ball. The article describes it as a "partial but significant comeback in the slog overs." Statistically, Bhuvneshwar's series average was 139.00 (1 wicket / 139 runs) and economy around 11.58. This is very poor for a frontline seamer. His career T20I economy is around 7.0, meaning a gap of +4.5 runs per over. This is not a minor dip but a structural difference. Analysis shows that Bhuvneshwar's role changed during the match. He went from being a new-ball strike bowler to a damage-limitation bowler. The team management gave him the 18th over, indicating they still trust his death-overs experience and yorker execution. But the key point is that this is a control contribution, not a wicket-taking one. There is a visible 3-4 kmph drop in Bhuvneshwar's pace. His short-of-length ball is now pullable, and a "hint of movement" no longer forces batters into false shots. This is a sign of physical decline, not a tactical error. His skills – scrambled seam, movement off the pitch, creating front-foot doubt, yorker and wide yorker – are still there, but their effect has diminished. In T20Is, the new ball is only for six overs and batters attack from ball one. Bhuvneshwar's skillset is more useful with the red ball or the 50-over new ball, where movement and patience pay off. In T20Is, it is a structural misfit. Bhuvneshwar himself admitted that in T20s the ball is "fed" to the bowler and the margin for error is very low. "In T20s you need maturity. The ball is fed to the bowler, and the margin of error is very low," he said. This is a pragmatic self-assessment, showing he is not running from reality. India have won the series 3-0, but New Zealand's batters kept pressure on India's bowling. This means India's wins came mainly from batting and chasing, not from bowling. Bhuvneshwar's performance is part of that story – skills intact, but margins gone. At 36, a medium-pace swing bowler's decline can be steep. He does not have the longevity of a spinner. Bhuvneshwar's future may now be as a control bowler or mentor, rather than a frontline wicket-taker. Overall, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's comeback is an emotional story, but the numbers show his place in T20I cricket is now limited. He rightly gave credit to the IPL, but that form has not translated at the international level. The Indian team must seriously consider its bowling options in the matches ahead.