Bhuvneshwar Kumar has conceded nearly 100 runs in 8 overs in the first two T20I matches vs New Zealand since his comeback to Team India.
Published: October 26, 2026, 1:22 PM IST
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar (left) celebrates after claiming a wicket in 2nd T20I match vs NZ(Source: X)
India vs New Zealand 2026 3rd T20: The weight of expectation on the shoulders of Bhuvneshwar Kumar was massive after spending nearly 4 years in international hibernationThe 36-year-old pacer finally bowled his first delivery in T20I cricket in the first game against New Zealand last week in ChristchurchBut Bhuvneshwar’s return to international cricket has been far from being a fairytale one.
The 36-year-old, who was retained for Rs 10.75 crore by Virat Kohli’s RCB, has conceded nearly 100 runs in 8 overs bowled and claimed a solitary wicketHe went for 0 for 49 in the first T20I and claimed 1 for 51 in the second game on Saturday.
Indian bowling coach and former South Africa pacer Morne Morkel urged Bhuvneshwar Kumar to block out the expectations for the remaining three T20I games starting with the third one in Wellington on Tuesday
“I’ve got a lot of sympathy for his returnThere will be expectations after four years to come backHe has done exceptionally well in the IPL and bowled really well,” Morkel said in the pre-match press conference in Wellington on Monday.
“One challenge is to block the expectation factor outTwo, leading into selection, he trained for a month, but playing international cricket is a different beast where the margins are smallHe had to come in with limited training because of the schedule to get himself ready,” Morkel said about Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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R Ashwin breaks down Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performances in the first two T20Is and shares his take on India’s fielding!
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Morkel had backed the RCB pacer to find his rhythm and bounce back in the remaining matches“The skill and his experience, everything is thereBut at the end of the day, we have to respect the game of cricket and you have to be able to allow him to just find his feet in some of the games.
“And for me, that has been the message from the start when he joined the squad, don’t chase anythingJust be youYes, there will be expectationsBut every game you’ll get better and every game you’ll find your rhythmSo let’s not think about any outside noisesJust be you and connect with that,” Morkel felt.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned the recall into the Indian team on the back of his 28 wickets in 16 matches in IPL 2026 and 45 wickets in the T20 league in the last two season as RCB won back-to-back titles.
Team India drawing up strategy for workload management of bowlers
Morkel also revealed that Team India management and think-tank are drawing up a fresh strategy for ‘workload management’ of their bowlers in all three formats of the game“We are planning a group of bowlers that we would like to potentially stay behind as cover because of the scheduleCloser to the time, once we get a better understanding of the conditions at this time of the year, we’ll get a clear picture regarding the make-up of our bowling unit,” Morkel revealed.
White-ball specialist Arshdeep Singh has not played Test cricket for India, but his ability to move the ball both ways has kept him in contention for a red-ball debut as well.
“On paper and in the back of our minds, there is a nice group of bowlers that can suit all conditions, and Arshdeep is definitely in that conversationHe’s a guy that always works hard and ticks all the boxes, so if needed with the red ball, I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine,” the Indian bowling coach revealed.
He also stated that bowlers would be rotated during the five-match ODI series to provide them with match practice ahead of the Tests“In the 50-over format, we will also rotate and give guys the game time needed to prepare for the Test matchesWe’ve got a bulletproof plan at the moment in terms of how we mapped everything out, but unfortunately, not everything always goes according to plan.
“The back-up and combinations we have are all in place and ready in terms of rotation, making sure everyone, including Jasprit Bumrah all the way down, is ready for the first red-ball Test and the 50-over games,” Morkel said.
