Experienced bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar managed to make a comeback to the Indian T20 team after a long wait of nearly four years. However, his return did not go as expected. In the first two matches of the ongoing five-match T20 series against New Zealand—played in Christchurch—Bhuvneshwar recorded figures of 0/49 and 1/50.
Known in the cricketing world as the ‘Swing King,’ Bhuvneshwar could not replicate his performance from the 2026 IPL season. In that previous season, he had claimed 28 wickets in 16 matches, playing a key role in helping RCB become champions for the second consecutive time. Following his lackluster performance in the T20 series against New Zealand, some fans took to social media to demand his exclusion from the playing eleven.
Meanwhile, Indian cricket team bowling coach Morne Morkel has stated that Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not need to chase anything; he simply needs to be himself. This remark from the bowling coach has fueled speculation that Bhuvneshwar might be left out of the third T20 match.
Morne Morkel has stated that Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not need to chase anything
Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of the third T20 International against New Zealand in Wellington, Morkel said, “I have a lot of empathy regarding his comeback. I say this because, after a four-year absence, people will naturally have high expectations of him. He performed exceptionally well in the IPL; he bowled truly brilliantly.”
“The biggest challenge leading up to his selection is how to manage the pressure of these expectations. While he did train for a month, playing international cricket is a completely different experience, where matches are often decided by the narrowest of margins. Consequently, due to the schedule, he had to prepare himself with very limited training time.
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” From this statement by Morne Morkel, one can gauge that Bhuvneshwar Kumar had very little time to prepare for international cricket. Consequently, he has not been able to perform to his full potential. Nevertheless, it is likely that India will field the same playing eleven for the third T20 match that featured in the second.
