The 36-year-old has enjoyed two excellent Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons in 2025 and 2026, and it would be a major surprise if he does not feature in any of the five T20Is in the series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar ‘s highly-anticipated comeback to the Indian team is one of the biggest talking points heading into the T20I series against New Zealand. Ahead of the first game in Christchurch, India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer reflected on Bhuvneshwar’s comeback and the selection headache it creates.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s highly-anticipated comeback to the Indian team is one of the biggest talking points heading into the T20I series against New Zealand.
He has been a pivotal part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) back-to-back IPL-winning squad, picking up 45 wickets in only 30 games. IPL 2026 was particularly impressive, as he took 28 wickets in 16 matches and was arguably the standout bowler of the tournament.
“Bhuvi definitely, like you said, he brings a lot of experience to the team. We had a lot of new bowlers,” Shreyas said in the pre-match press conference. The India skipper labelled Bhuvneshwar’s comeback as a “sweet headache”, stating that it is bound to motivate the others in the squad due to the increased competition for the pacer slots. But it’s important for every team,” Shreyas said.
Shreyas stated that Bhuvneshwar brings much-needed experience into the side. And we were lacking that, especially after the IPL. “Yes, it’s good in a way. And it motivates the current team members that we have to perform consistently for the team. And the most important thing is to win the match. That is the eventual goal. So, I just want to say that it’s a sweet headache.
