Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mentor VVS Laxman, who has worked with Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Indian Premier League (IPL), thinks that the bowler returning to form is a big advantage for Team India going into the T20 World Cup 2021.
VVS Laxman told Star Sports, "I think Bhuvneshwar coming back to form is a big, big plus for India, especially keeping in mind the T20 World Cup which will be held in India this year."
Bhuvneshwar got injured in the middle of IPL 2020 and took a few months to get back to full fitness. Interestingly, he had just come back to match fitness before the tournament began. Thus, his stay out of the game was quite a long one due to recurring injuries.
The pacer from Uttar Pradesh took a total of 10 wickets in the limited-overs series against England. The 46-year-old former cricketer knows how tough last couple of years were for Bhuvneshwar and what it means for him to be back in India colours.
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Laxman said, "Working with him closely at Sunrisers Hyderabad, I know how much it meant for him to come back into this Indian team. The last 2 years have been tough for him. Whenever he got an opportunity, he did really well with the ball. It's never easy for a fast bowler to have recurring injuries. And unfortunately, He had a couple of major injuries."
Bhuvneshwar had to spend a lot of time in the NCA in Bengaluru to rehabilitate after the injuries. He had to do a lot of hard work in the gym and that has been appreciated by the Laxman.
"But all the hard work and the amount of time he spent at the NCA has given him the right rewards. Right from the T20I series, one thing was very evident was the way Bhuvneshwar was able to swing the new ball. Whenever he does that, India is in a good position because picking up wickets with the new ball is crucial," Laxman concluded.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and VVS Laxman will reunite for SRH in IPL 2021 in a few days time.