The New Zealand tour marks Bhuvneshwar's return to the Indian squad after four-year hiatus.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner explicitly highlighted veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing-bowling capabilities as a primary threat for his team ahead of their five-match T20I series against India, starting October 22 in Christchurch.
The New Zealand tour marks a massive milestone for the 36-year-old Bhuvneshwar, who earned a national recall after nearly four years away. His last appearance for India was in November 2022.
Addressing the media on the eve of the series opener, Santner emphasized that if flat Indian tracks couldn't completely neutralize Bhuvneshwar's ability to nip and swing the ball, the seam-friendly, cooler conditions of New Zealand will make him lethal especially with the new ball.
“I think Bhuvi will love these conditions in New Zealand. If there's anything in the wicket, he'll find something out of it,” Santner told reporters. “[Even] on some flat ones in India, still manages to nip the ball and swing the ball. So with the new ball out here especially, he'll be a challenge.”
Bhuvneshwar earned his place back in India's squad following his brilliance in domestic cricket and the IPL over the last two seasons, serving as a vital architect in RCB’s historic back-to-back championship campaigns. While the right-arm seamer claimed 17 wickets in IPL 2025, he was phenomenal this year, picking up 28 scalps and finishing with the best economy rate among the top five wicket-takers.
During the pre-match presser, Santner noted that bowler-friendly tracks in New Zealand will provide a breather for the Indian unit following the high-scoring home series against the West Indies, where massive totals of 240 were not safe.
“I mean, in India, it's pretty challenging as a bowler these days, like we've seen in the recent series [against West Indies], 250 getting chased down — who wants to be a bowler? — but he might like it out here a little better,” Santner remarked.
Following the T20I series, India will play five ODIs and two Test matches on the tour of New Zealand.