Social Media Reacts as Bhuvneshwar Kumar Makes India T20I Comeback
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has returned to India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series at 36. His comeback follows an impressive IPL 2026 campaign, where he claimed 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95. His last India appearance came in November 2022, also in New Zealand. The 5-match T20I series begins on October 22.
For the upcoming New Zealand tour, India have brought Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the T20I setup after a successful IPL 2026 campaign. The 36-year-old pacer last played for India in New Zealand in November 2022. His return comes after he claimed 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026. The 16-member T20I squad is led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain.
Varun Chakaravarthy has also returned after missing games due to a side strain. He replaces Ravi Bishnoi. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, with India managing his workload ahead of the Test series later in the tour. The first T20I will be played on October 22 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Meanwhile, India have selected a strong 15-member A squad for 3 multi-day matches against New Zealand A.
Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar are included after impressive performances in the Irani Cup, where Akash took 6 wickets and Mukesh claimed 8 wickets. The squad also features KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel. The A matches begin on October 27, while the first Test starts on November 19 in Wellington.
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