Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his comeback in the fifth T20I against the West Indies in Bengaluru. However, the match got washed out due to rain, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t get to bowl. It was more than 1400 days since Kumar wore the India blue shirt again.
However, he will be more useful in the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, where he will be the most experienced pacer for the Indian team. However, given the Indian team management’s penchant for chopping and changing, we take a look at three reasons why Bhuvneshwar Kumar should play in all five T20Is.
Here are the 3 reasons why Bhuvneshwar Kumar should play all 5 NZ vs. IND T20Is:
3. India needs experience and versatility.
Current Indian bowling has taken a lot of beating in recent times, especially against the West Indies, where they conceded more than 200 twice. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Varun Chakravarthy, Indian bowling has lacked the versatility it needs, and that’s where Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes in. He is very good with the new ball upfront with swing and seam and is lethal in the death overs with the yorkers. He is a new ball partner for Arshdeep Singh, with support from Prince Yadav and co.
2. New Zealand conditions suit his swing and seam bowling.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will love bowling in the cool conditions in New Zealand, where the new ball swings and seams. He last played international cricket in New Zealand and will return to make his comeback to the Indian side once more. New Zealand batters will be careful against Bhuvneshwar Kumar as he swings the ball both ways in the air and seams it off the pitch. He will be the key new ball bowler who can give early breakthroughs and then tie down the scoring rate in the death overs.
1. India needs a wicket-taker in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
Jasprit Bumrah will miss the ODIs and T20Is in the New Zealand tour, and India needs someone who is a known wicket-taker to partner with in-form Arshdeep Singh. It is unlikely that India will play Kuldeep Yadav, another wicket-taker in many games, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar is needed in order to ensure the pressure remains built on the batters, with him becoming his captain’s go-to bowler for wickets.
