Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play for India for the first time since November 2022.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's career in India remained stagnant since the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals against England. It has been almost four years since then, but the 36-year-old managed to get back in the national limelight after performing well in the recent IPL editions.
Bhuvneshwar has taken 45 wickets in the 2025 and 2026 IPL seasons and played his role in winning Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) back-to-back titles in this period. Bhuvneshwar performed brilliantly with 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95 in IPL 2026.
Ashwin said that Bhuvneshwar could have been an all-format asset for India like Bumrah had he worked harder and avoided injuries.
"I am very excited and happy for Bhuvneshwar Kumar because he is a very unassuming guy. And yes, I am once again putting my neck on the line to say this: if he had worked a little harder, if the timing had been right, and if he had avoided those injuries, with the skill set he possesses, he could have been a king for India across all formats.
Do you want to swing? He has a swing. If you want it to move one way, he can do that. If you want it to move both ways, he can do that too. And then he has a decent pace. Yes, when he played a couple of games in Australia, he was also finding it a little difficult. But he had some fitness issues. With the bat, he could contribute really well. He has very, very good hands and is a good catcher. I feel he could have given Indian cricket even more across formats," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin stated that if Bhuvneshwar Kumar shows that he can remain fit and perform well in the New Zealand T20Is, there is a chance that he can make a comeback in India’s ODI squad as well.
He further claimed that selectors will be watching closely, and if Bhuvneshwar performs well, he could very well share the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah in the 2027 World Cup for India.
“He is going to New Zealand now. I am telling you, if he does well, everyone will immediately say, Just take him for the ODI team as well. The selectors will be watching very closely. If he swings the ball and shows decent fitness, nobody can stop Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from sitting together on that flight to the World Cup and Bhuvneshwar bowling the first ball of the World Cup," said Ashwin.
Further talking about the need for Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the ODI team and highlighted how Indian pacers struggled against the West Indies, conceding 405 and 352 in the last two games. He feels that Bhuvneshwar can be like an insurance policy for the team, with his experience and skill set.
"Look at how they are getting hit in this series against the West Indies. They need experience in the bowling department. Be careful. If you go to South Africa and bowl half-heartedly, they will absolutely roast you. So, having got that idea, they have thought, 'Okay, let's put Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the T20 team as a kind of fixed deposit at 6 percent.
Let's say this continues. Now imagine there is a setback in New Zealand. I am just saying hypothetically. If required, I feel they might even retain Bhuvneshwar after the T20 series. Then we will see what happens in the ODI series. It will be interesting," said Ashwin.
India will take on New Zealand in a five-match T20I series, which will begin on October 22.