As Team India scrambles for fit bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s name has been doing rounds. The fast bowler himself has thrown his name in the hat, with the selectors and team management busy preparing plans for the 2027 World Cup, which is a little over a year ahead.
Currently, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are injured, while the selectors seemingly have moved on from Mohammed Shami, who last featured in the national colors in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final in March 2025.
Bhuvneshwar has been out of the Indian team for much longer than Shami. However, unlike Shami, Bhuvneshwar has produced two outstanding IPL seasons for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The 36-year-old Bhuvneshwar has been a key cog in RCB’s back-to-back title-winning campaigns. In IPL 2025, Bhuvneshwar picked up 17 wickets, and in IPL 2026, he had his most prolific IPL season, bagging 28 wickets.
Bhuvneshwar hasn’t played any professional match since the IPL 2026 final, and he will return to action this month with the UPT20 League. The pacer will be captaining the Lucknow Falcons in the tournament that will begin on August 14.
When was the last time Bhuvneshwar Kumar played for India?
Bhuvneshwar’s last match for India was in November 2022. He led the bowling attack in the 2022 T20 World Cup and was later dropped.
“Why would I say no if I get a call?” replies Bhuvneshwar when asked if he wishes to play for India again
The seamer said he’d rejoice at the idea of donning the blue jersey again. On the sidelines of the UPT20 League, Bhuvneshwar was queried about a potential comeback to the Indian team, especially keeping next year’s World Cup on the African continent in mind.
“Why would I say no if I get a call? Absolutely ready,” Bhuvneshwar quipped.
The pacer added, “Honestly, I cannot say exactly how ready I am. My job is to play cricket, and that is why I have come here to play in the UP T20 league. I didn’t come here with the intention of moving to another place or reaching another level.”
The likes of Ravi Shastri and R Ashwin have hailed Bhuvneshwar following his recent IPL exploits and even backed him for the 2027 World Cup.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, though, remains unfazed by the comments made by former players.
“What everyone is saying is their opinion. My job is to play cricket. I didn’t come here with the sole aim of doing well or advancing to the next level,” the seamer asserted.
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