Bhuvneshwar Kumar said he "did not chase" a comeback to the India side and credited his performances in the IPL as the reason he finds himself back in the T20I set-up for the first time since November 2022.
Speaking after the third T20I in Wellington against New Zealand, which India won to seal the series 3-0, Bhuvneshwar said: "To tell you the truth, I did not chase [an India comeback]. Yes, it is a dream. I am not saying that I am not happy. I am very happy. To play for India, to represent India, it is a matter of pride.
"So, I am feeling very proud that I made a comeback. But the truth is that I did not chase it. For four years, whatever was coming in front of me - tournaments, challenges, whatever… About cricket, about fitness, whatever else. I kept doing [playing cricket]. I never thought that I would want to play cricket for [only an India] comeback.
"So I think that [mentality] made things very easy. Luckily, the performance happened. I think all the credit goes to the two years of IPL [performances]. Because of that, [an India comeback] is happening."
Related
Bhuvneshwar, 36, forced his way back into the India side after his success in consecutive IPL seasons, when he picked up 17 and 28 wickets in the 2025 and 2026 seasons respectively for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They won the title both years, and Bhuvneshwar was named in the T20I squad for the five-match series in New Zealand.
He was also called up to the squad for the fifth match against West Indies in Bengaluru earlier this year, as cover for an injured Arshdeep Singh. He was named in the XI but did not get to bowl as the game was rained out. In the three matches in New Zealand, he has been expensive in batter-friendly conditions: he has taken just one wicket in three games, at an economy of 11.58 and an average of 139.00.
Earlier in the series, when asked about Bhuvneshwar's numbers on return, bowling coach Morne Morkel said: "Look, I've got a lot of sympathy for his return. The reason why I say that is, one, there will be expectation after four years to come out. He's done exceptionally well in the IPL. He's bowled really well. Two, leading into his selection, I mean, there was a month of cricket where, yes, he trained, but this is a different beast coming and playing international cricket where the margins are small. So he had to come in with limited training because of the schedule to get himself ready."
With the series sealed, India will now head to Auckland for the fourth T20I on October 30, then Hamilton to close out the series on November 1.