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Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the Indian T20I setup should have happened much sooner. The veteran pacer has been rewarded with a recall for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand after spending almost four years away from international cricket.
Bhuvneshwar's return comes after two highly productive IPL seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Sanjay Manjrekar feels the pacer's performances in IPL 2026 were strong enough to warrant an immediate India call-up, rather than making him wait until the New Zealand tour.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar forces selectors to hand him India recall
Bhuvneshwar Kumar last represented India in November 2022, when he played against New Zealand in a T20I in Napier. He subsequently fell out of the national setup and had not played international cricket for nearly four years. His return was largely driven by his performances for RCB in consecutive title-winning IPL campaigns.
The veteran pacer took 17 wickets during IPL 2025 before producing an even better campaign in 2026. He finished the season with 28 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 17.89 and an economy rate of 7.95, ending just one wicket behind Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada.
His consistency played an important role in RCB's successful title defence. Bhuvneshwar was effective with both the new and old ball and offered the control that made him one of the most reliable bowlers in the competition. His form eventually forced the selectors to bring him back into the T20I squad for the New Zealand tour.
If any bowler has a great IPL, I believe he should be picked straightaway into the Indian team - Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar's IPL numbers made his selection an obvious decision. He pointed out that producing consistently good bowling figures in Indian conditions is particularly demanding because of the advantage usually enjoyed by batters.
"If any bowler has a great IPL, I believe he should be picked straightaway into the Indian team. That's purely because having a great season with the ball in the IPL in Indian conditions, where everything is in so much in favor of the batters, proves that any bowler who does well looks like a great achievement," he said in a video shared on his Instagram.
Sanjay Manjrekar also revealed that he expected Bhuvneshwar to return to the Indian team immediately after the 2026 IPL, given the quality and consistency of his campaign.
"His selection is a really good one. In fact, I thought he would get picked straightaway after the last IPL, purely because he was so good with economy and wicket-taking, while being consistent right through. He was a game-changer with the ball."
He bowls in the narrow channel, attacks the stumps - Sanjay Manjrekar hails Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Manjrekar also highlighted the tactical intelligence that has allowed Bhuvneshwar to remain effective despite being one of the older players in India's current T20I setup. The pacer's international record reflects his ability to restrict scoring while regularly picking up wickets. Bhuvneshwar has taken 90 wickets in 87 T20Is for India at an average of 23.10 and an economy rate of 6.96.
"Bhuvneshwar's old-school thinking and the cricket smarts he has, along with the skills that are relevant against today's modern-day batters and power hitters, are going to be a great combination for India. He bowls in the narrow channel, attacks the stumps, and gives nothing away with his angles in the air and off the pitch. So he's going to be a tough one to get away," said Manjrekar.
"I believe, as Varun Chakaravarthy does with his wrist spin of bowling stump-to-stump, that's going to be Bhuvneshwar's great strength. Bhuvneshwar will do well, and the selectors need to be applauded, as it makes a lot of sense."
Also Read: Ajit Agarkar rejected Bhuvneshwar Kumar's comeback despite RP Singh's request
