Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is returning to international cricket with Team India, if good enough to play for the next couple of years feels former India bowling coach Bharat Arun.
Published: October 13, 2026, 5:40 PM IST
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RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar(Photo: IANS)
India vs New Zealand 2026 T20: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is already 36 years of age and most Indian fans were not expecting him to return to Indian colours for the remaining of his careerBut the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dropped a massive surprise by recalling the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer for the five-match T20I series beginning in Christchurch on October 22.
The Uttar Pradesh fast bowler last played international cricket against New Zealand back in Napier in 2022But the question on every Indian cricket fan’s mind is whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar can carry on beyond the New Zealand series and possible continue for Shreyas Iyer’s side in T20 World Cup 2028 in Australia and NZ.
Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun spoke to India.com ahead of the T20I series against the Black Caps opened up on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s surprise return to the Indian side and whether Mohammed Siraj can find his lost groove soon.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar is definitely fit enough to play for the next couple of yearsI believe he can play in South Africa as well where the conditions are favourableGoing by his recent form and fitness, he is good enough to play for the coming one-and-a-half to two years,” Bharat Arun told India.com on Tuesday in an interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network.
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar has regained his place in the Indian side on the back of his phenomenal show in the IPL 2026 seasonThe star pacer, retained for Rs 10.75 crore by Virat Kohli’s RCB, claimed 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 17.89Since joining RCB from Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has claimed 45 wickets in 30 matches.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been in fabulous form and if someone is bowling well, I am all for bringing him back into the teamNot playing international cricket for two to three years, to me, those things don’t matterIf somebody is doing really well, and if the selectors believe and the team management believes that he can deliver and Bhuvi is exactly that kind of a bowler,” Arun said about the RCB pacer.
Mohammed Siraj has temporary loss of form: Bharat Arun
One major area of concern for Team India is the form of Mohammed SirajThe Gujarat Titans was seen bowling well below his par and his pace in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this yearArun believes that it is only temporary loss of form for the Indian pacer.
“I see this as temporary loss of form and I think, be it as a bowler or a batter, it is bound to happen sometimesHe’s taken some time away from the sport before the Sri Lankan seriesI really don’t know what kind of workloads he went through and what his training programs wereBut I think, yes, sometimes after a long gap for any sportsman, it takes a little while to shed those small things that creep into your gameBut very soon, with his experience, he should be back to Mohammed Siraj we are looking for,” Arun said about Siraj.
Asked about Nitish Kumar Reddy’s development as a replacement for Hardik Pandya in terms of his bowling, Arun said, “See, Hardik Pandya is an outstanding all-rounderHe’ll surely be missedBut then in Nitesh Kumar Reddy, I think we have an all-rounder candidateHe has got enough pace in him and enough pace to do to bowl well at the international levelThe biggest challenge for them would be executionIt’s one thing having the pace but another thing to execute.”
