After nearly four years in the air, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in India’s plans. Every swing bowler knows the feeling: the ball hangs in the air, and for a suspended moment, nobody can say which way it will go. For nearly four years, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s international career seemed suspended in that moment. On October 6, the BCCI announced that the 36-year-old pacer had been included in India’s T20I squad for the five-match series in New Zealand. The opening match is scheduled to be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on October 22, with the series concluding on November 1. Meerut was where it all began for Bhuvneshwar. He joined the first coaching centre in the city when he was 13, after his sister took him along. Little did he know that this would eventually lead to him delivering the new ball for India. He made his international debut against Pakistan in December 2012 and was part of the squad that won the 2013 Champions Trophy. His strength, however, was never sheer pace. It lay in his ability to swing the ball both ways. He showcased this skill at Lord’s in 2014, taking 6 for 82. His performances also earned him Player of the Series honours on the England tour. But injuries continued to trouble him. A lower-back problem affected him during the 2018 ODI series in England, sidelining him for the first three tests. He also underwent surgery for a sports hernia in 2020, which kept him out of the tour of New Zealand that year. Nevertheless, he continued to make comebacks and was appointed India’s T20I vice-captain at the start of 2022. In September that year, he delivered one of the finest spells of his career, taking five wickets for four runs against Afghanistan in Dubai. His last assignment for India was in New Zealand in November 2022, following India’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat by England in Adelaide. Bhuvi’s IPL performances strengthened his case for a recall. After taking 17 wickets in 14 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025, he produced a career-best season in 2026, claiming 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 17.89 and an economy rate of 7.95. His combined tally across the two seasons stood at 45 wickets in 30 matches. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition. Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak spoke about the selection decision on October 8. According to media reports, Kotak said Bhuvneshwar’s experience and impressive IPL performances could have influenced the decision to select him for the upcoming T20I fixtures in New Zealand. Kotak also spoke about the importance of Jasprit Bumrah’s experience, saying that the team had missed it during the recent England series. “We need that experience,” Kotak said, according to reports. “The youngsters need to learn from him. I think we need to give him that opportunity.” Bhuvneshwar will join a pace unit featuring Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav. Bumrah, meanwhile, has been rested, with Shreyas Iyer set to lead the side. The five-match T20I series will be part of India’s wider tour of New Zealand, which is also scheduled to include five ODIs and two Tests. It will be India’s first white-ball series in New Zealand since the 2022 tour. New Zealand’s conditions, where the new ball can swing, could also play to Bhuvneshwar’s strengths. He will be looking to add to his international wicket tally. The journey has come full circle for the Meerut lad who first walked into a coaching centre at 13. He made his international debut against Pakistan in December 2012, aged 22. Now 36, he is set to take on New Zealand once again, after a career marked by injuries and repeated comebacks. If he gets the nod in Christchurch, the delivery will finally land. But after nearly four years in the air, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has answered the question that mattered: the swing never left.
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