New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) The reason that became Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s undoing when he was dumped like a hot potato by Chetan Sharma’s selection committee back in 2022, is the very reason that he will be back in national colours in 2026.
Bhuvneshwar — or Bhuvi to his teammates and acquaintances — knows how to swing the white cherry. Now, he can boast about making a grand comeback when everyone in the Indian cricket ecosystem had written his epitaph.
It was believed that at the ripe age of 36, there couldn’t be a national comeback in a format that was meant for Gen Z. But here was a millennial who was ready to show the world that there are skills that can’t just be learnt on the job, and it takes years to master them.
There are those inch perfect outswingers, which would deviate just enough at the last moment with an intent of kissing the outside edge of the willow. Then there would be the sudden in-cutters that would cut the batter into half after he was half expecting one to jag back in.
Bhuvneshwar is a product of Meerut, the land of India’s red-ball factory Sanspareils and Greenlands (SG), which makes those shiny red balls with a pronounced stitch.
Before Bhuvi, it was Praveen Kumar, who made Meerut’s swing bowlers famous and he would tell anyone who cared to listen that “Meerut ke hawaa mein hi baat kuch hai” (there is something in Meerut’s air).
That “lahrati huyi gaaend” (the ball that wobbles and swings) has been Bhuvneshwar’s art and he has been a master craftsman.
The 45 wickets in two successful Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons (2025 and 2026) for RCB brought Bhuvneshwar back into the limelight. As much as it was Virat Kohli, or Krunal Pandya doing those heavylifting, it was Bhuvneshwar, who actually anchored the campaign with those incisive spells.
When he was clobbered all over by Alex Hales and Jos Buttler back in the 2022 WT20 semi-finals in Adelaide, Bhuvneshwar didn’t look that part with a drop in pace and the swing virtually missing. The next tour was New Zealand and he looked further disheveled, and it was considered end of the road with new speed merchants emerging in the shorter form.
After Ajit Agarkar became the chairman of selectors, his philosophy was to look to the future. Although many expected Bhuvneshwar Kumar to make a comeback, the former Mumbai speedster had other ideas. Naturally, some of his selection panel colleagues disagreed, including Rudra Pratap Singh, who had previously shared the new ball with Bhuvneshwar and hailed from Rae Bareli.
However, RP didn’t find much support till Agarkar was around. Once he was gone, things eased out, and the much deserving return happened.
What stood out for Bhuvneshwar was his quiet demeanour and an admirable work ethic. There were no statements made; there was no ‘Platinum Victim Card’ that he wore like a badge of honour. He just did what he was supposed to do — work on his skills. He played white-ball games for UP, where he was a shining light for young bowlers.
But IPL and RCB became his playing ground and he was out there doing his job. Swinging those batters out for fun. He wasn’t making a statement. Bhuvneshwar the doer was just doing his job.
And now he has swung it big time. Watching Bhuvneshwar’s comeback, an ex-India player and BCCI official jokingly said, “If Bhuvneshwar has arrived, Can Mohammed Shami be far behind?”. PTI KHS KHS AH
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