Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the national squad after four years away drew a positive response from Dinesh Karthik, who voiced support for the selection panel's decision. After going more than two years without an international appearance, Kumar has been brought back into the T20I setup ahead of the home series against New Zealand.
Two seasons spent bowling for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL laid the groundwork for his comeback, with that stretch of cricket pointing to his standing among the more accomplished white-ball bowlers operating in the country. His IPL outings put Bhuvneshwar back on the selectors' radar, with back-to-back title runs at RCB drawing on his bowling across both campaigns — 17 wickets taken during the first and 28 across the second. With the new ball in hand, his ability to generate movement off the surface gave his team an early foothold in each contest.
Karthik noted that a four-year wait had passed before the player received a recall to the Indian squad. The selectors' decision to name a new pace bowler drew comment, with the Indian team having rotated through a range of fast-bowling options over the past several years. Karthik offered the view that Kumar brought a rare quality to the squad — one that no straightforward replacement existed for. Karthik also noted that the national side had rotated through a range of pace bowlers over the preceding twelve months.
Kumar's capacity to move the ball in both directions off a fresh delivery, combined with his familiarity with the closing overs, gives India a bowler who can slot into multiple phases of a T20 game. His capacity to move the ball in the early overs gives the attack an extra dimension, with Arshdeep Singh and a number of younger pace options already present in the group alongside him.
Ajit Agarkar's selection panel, which handled the previous round of squad decisions, had a hand in bringing Bhuvneshwar back into the setup. Bhuvneshwar's omission from selection during Agarkar's tenure as chairman drew attention, with the reported rationale being a preference to give younger players an opportunity over bringing back a more seasoned option. With Agarkar's exit opening a vacancy, Pragyan Ojha stepped into the position, a transition that smoothed the path for Kumar's return to the squad while also addressing the side's appetite for seasoned bowling options given that Bumrah had been stood down from the T20I fixtures.
Questions about where Bhuvneshwar's international path was headed grew louder after a stretch of difficult outings, with the 2022 T20 World Cup standing out as a particularly testing period in that run. Karthik argued that Bhuvneshwar's performances across recent outings had assembled a compelling body of evidence for an international recall, and that the bowler had every reason to take real satisfaction from earning his way back onto that platform.
Karthik also recalled the conversations that took place around the IPL mega auction, noting that Bhuvneshwar Kumar's name stood out from the outset — with the general feeling among those involved being that securing him was something the team needed to do.
Pace bowling depth across the squad — built around younger names such as Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav — stands to draw on the accumulated experience Bhuvneshwar brings to the crease, with tournaments including the 2028 T20 World Cup forming part of the group's forward-looking schedule. Bhuvneshwar is expected to return to the national setup when India host New Zealand in a five-match T20I series, with the opening game pencilled in for 22 October.
