New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 16-member T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand. The selectors have come up with a big surprise as right-arm pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned to the squad after four years. The 36-year-old was building his comeback path via the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he produced a stellar performance for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their title run this year.
Bhuvneshwar’s last appearance came against New Zealand in November 2022. The pacer, known for his swing factor, stormed back into the Indian team setup after taking 28 wickets at an outstanding economy of 7.95 for RCB in this IPL.
There was a lot of chatter around Bhuvneshwar’s return to the Indian team, but notably, he has been selected in the squad after Ajit Agarkar stepped down as the chief selector.
Bhuvneshwar’s performance while being away from the India squad
Bhuvneshwar was playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In the former, he picked up 16 wickets in 14 matches with an economy of 8.33. However, next year he produced a dismal season, managing to take only 11 wickets in 16 matches with a poor economy of 9.35.
Bhuvneshwar was then picked by the RCB ahead of the 2025 season and the right-arm bowler scripted his way back into the national team with performances in the last two seasons. In 2025, he picked up 17 wickets from 14 fixtures with an economy of 9.29 and took it up a notch in 2026, taking 28 wickets from 16 matches.
Varun Chakravarthy returns
Although Bhuvneshwar’s return is the most celebrated as he is coming back after a long hiatus, Varun Chakravarthy is another player who is marking his return to the side. The mystery spinner has struggled a lot with injuries in 2026. He played a T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi, where he suffered a side strain and was subsequently ruled out of the Asian Games.
