Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named in India's squad for the upcoming five-T20I series against New Zealand, starting October 22 in Christchurch. This marks his comeback to the national setup after nearly four years away, with his last appearance having come in November 2022.
The 36-year-old earned his recall primarily due to exceptional form in the IPL 2026 season. Playing for the champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he took 28 wickets in 16 matches to finish as the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker. Over the last two IPL seasons combined, he claimed 45 wickets.
While Bhuvneshwar has been picked for a T20I series, several reports suggest that a strong showing could put him back in contention for the 2027 ODI World Cup as the BCCI selectors are not quite confident about the current crop of young fast bowlers.
Meanwhile, former India opener Wasim Jaffer endorsed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the T20I fold, asserting that selectors did not do any special favors to the veteran pacer and his recall was completely justified because of stellar domestic form and high fitness standards.
Jaffer argued that selectors should look past a player's age. He stated that while grooming young talent is essential, an entirely young squad lacks the necessary poise to handle high-pressure situations.
"Better late than never. He deserves this. Unko select karke koi meherbani nahi ki hai kisi ne (nobody has done a favour by selecting him). His performances have been there, and his fitness has been good. I am clueless as to why he was dropped earlier," Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
"He has always done well in the IPL and for Uttar Pradesh. So, what was the reason he was not getting picked? We should keep age aside. We have young players, but we should not neglect those who are doing well because you ultimately need experience when there is pressure. You cannot play with an entirely young team. You need to have that mixture of experience and youth," he added.
With less than a year remaining for the next ODI World Cup, Jaffer also questioned the team management's selection policy and inconsistent game time for Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj.
Jaffer believes Shami must be recalled immediately to the Test team and kept in the ODI plans, noting that neglecting him now risks closing the door on his international career.
"Shami should be picked, especially in the Test team. I don't know about the ODI team because we have tried many players like Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Reddy there, but I don't think the management still has that confidence. You are not giving Siraj game time consistently. I don't understand who your second and third seamers are. According to me, Shami should be in the ODI team, given that the World Cup is also very near. When you have that quality, you should play him. My first choice would be Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj, and I will think about rebuilding after the World Cup," he remarked.
"I would like to see Shami make a comeback in Tests. I have been looking forward to it for a long time. My focus will be on Shami and Auqib Nabi whenever the team is announced. If Shami is neglected here, I feel the door will be closed on him."
