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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have already announced the squads for the upcoming UK tour and the Asian Games 2026. Shreyas Iyer has been named as the captain for the T20I side, replacing T20 World Cup 2026 winning captain Suryakumar Yadav. Apart from Shreyas, there have been some new names added to the T20I squads.
Despite some new names, one of the old names, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, missed out on all the squads named for the tours. The leading wicket-taker for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), failed to make it to the squad. He picked 28 wickets this season, one less than Kagiso Rabada, who won the Purple Cap.
Why does BCCI overlook Bhuvneshwar Kumar?
Despite stellar performances in the last two IPL seasons, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not been selected once, nor has he been talked about among the selection panels, nor has he had his chance in the currently touring India A side to Sri Lanka. Does this mean that the time for Bhuvi in the India National Cricket Team is up?
Even if Bhuvneshwar cannot make it to the senior team now, he should have been added to the India A squad and performed there, and then get into the side after performing in the List A games. However, the 36-year-old player is overlooked just like Mohammed Shami. Bhuvi has increased his pace and also improved his bowling action.
Why Prasidh Krishna over Bhuvneshwar Kumar?
The BCCI made a forced change in the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, as Mohammed Siraj, who was added to the squad, will not be part of either tour after being advised to take rest by the medical team. In place of Siraj, his Gujarat Titans (GT) teammate Prasidh Krishna got a chance, but he did not have his best IPL season this year.
Krishna’s selection asks questions about whether India has moved away from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The only reason to drop him could be his age, as he has already turned 36, and by the time India’s next T20 World Cup is in 2028, he will turn 38, and currently, BCCI's transition policy toward younger players has grown, which has left him out of the squad.
BCCI focuses on young talent for the future
The BCCI, rather than focusing on Bhuvi’s comeback, prefers investing game time in younger bowlers who will be in their prime for future cycles. He typically bowls at 130-135 km/hr. Team India currently prioritizes high-pace candidates who can regularly exceed 140-145 km/hr in all formats. The likes of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and many more have made it difficult for a comeback.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s inability to consistently deliver long, multi-over periods in first-class cricket has kept him out of red-ball calculations, while younger death-overs specialists have taken over the T20I places. However, he should be given chances in bilateral series, considering his current form, and he should be provided a proper send-off from the international format, given his contribution to the national team across formats.
