'Good if that happens': Bhuvneshwar Kumar on his India return
What's the story
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the veteran pacer who last represented India in a T20I against New Zealand on November 22, 2022, has expressed his desire to return to the national team. The Meerut-born bowler was instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) successful title defense in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He took 28 wickets and finished as the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker. Despite his stellar performance, he wasn't selected for India's subsequent T20I and ODI series after IPL.
Comeback aspiration
His IPL and UPT20 league stats since IPL 2025
Despite being away from India's white-ball teams, Bhuvneshwar has been a regular feature in the IPL.
He joined RCB at the IPL 2025 mega auction and has since taken 45 wickets in 30 matches.
The pacer recently played for Lucknow Falcons in the UPT20 League, where he took 14 wickets in 11 matches, including best figures of 4/10 against Meerut Mavericks on September 3.
Viral video
'Mann toh mera bhi hai'
In a recent Instagram video by _2sloggers_, Bhuvneshwar was asked about his potential return to Team India.
The pacer responded, "Mann toh mera bhi hai" (I want to as well), showing his eagerness for a national comeback.
The anchor then mentioned Bhuvneshwar's impressive performance in the UPT20 League and hoped he could replicate such displays in the India jersey.
To this, Kumar replied, "Ho jayega toh achhi hai" (It will be good if that happens).
Twitter Post
Here's what the pacer said!
Bhuvneshwar Kumar got emotional when asked about making a comeback in the Indian jersey.
— Aarya 🕊️ (@Vitamin_Vk18) September 6, 2026
You could feel the pain in his eyes.
Some players don’t just want a comeback… they’re waiting for one last chance to serve their country.🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/2qfDbg1hkK
Stats
A look at his white-ball career
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of India's decorated white-ball pacers. He has played 121 ODIs, taking 141 wickets at an average of 35.11 and economy rate of 5.08 with best figures being 5/42.
In T20Is, he has taken as many as 90 wickets in just 87 matches at an impressive average of just over 23 with two five-wicket hauls under his belt.