Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a grim assessment of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s future with the national team following a difficult T20I comeback series against New Zealand.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted that the veteran swing bowler struggled to replicate the stellar form that earned him the national recall.
Ashwin noted a considerable difference between Bhuvneshwar’s dominant performances in the Indian Premier League (where he picked up 45 wickets in RCB’s victorious 2025 and 2026 campaigns) and his outings in New Zealand, where he claimed only 1 wicket while conceding 180 runs across 4 matches.
Beyond the expensive figures, Ashwin pointed out that Bhuvneshwar's bowling intensity, run-up speed, and overall velocity were noticeably lower in New Zealand, suggesting he may not have arrived in prime match training form.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar—he hasn’t bowled that well; he didn’t prove his form," Ashwin said. “IPL and here—there was a difference of sky and earth. So I think that chapter is maybe closed. It’s very difficult. How will he come back?"
Ashwin added that while younger bowlers might receive an extended rope to find their rhythm, it is incredibly difficult for an experienced 36-year-old to get identical leeway after a tough series.
He remarked, “If you’re a new kid or a young boy, you’ll get ten chances. But you’re an experienced guy coming back. What was disappointing—leave performance, leave giving extra runs. It’s not that. I felt the way he bowls in the IPL—the intensity, his run-up speed was also lower and bowling speed was also lower. That tells me maybe he didn’t come in prime training form for this series. So if that’s the condition, the selectors will also think—is this the way?"
Ashwin also shifted his focus toward other veteran options waiting in the wings, such as Mohammad Shami, who has shown excellent rhythm in domestic cricket.
“So right now I’m thinking that the way Shami is coming in Ranji and bowling, Shami is in much better rhythm," he said.
Shami, 36, last represented India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Despite proving his fitness and form in domestic cricket, he has faced omission from the national setup across formats.
