IND vs WI: 18 Months Ago We Thought Bhuvneshwar Kumar May Not Have An International Career – Sanjay Manjrekar

Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praise on senior Indian pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar for making giant strides to his game in the last few months.

Many experts had ruled out the possibility of Bhuvneshwar continuing in India’s white-ball plans after he was unable to pick wickets and concede enough runs. It wasn’t an ideal performance for the bowler like his stature.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fall and rise

Bhuvneshwar didn’t pick any wickets in the first game against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021 and subsequently didn’t play any game further in the tournament.

The Indian pacer was getting hit for big runs at one point. Even in the IPL 2022, he managed to amass 12 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

However, Bhuvneshwar has responded to the critics in his own style, first, he picked six wickets in the five-match series against South Africa at home.

In the second T20I in Cuttack, the senior Indian bowler went bonkers with the movement of the ball. He ran through the visitors’ batting unit upfront in their chase of a moderate 149 on a tricky surface and claimed three early wickets to reduce Proteas to 29 for three in the Powerplay overs.

Bhuvneshwar finished 4/13 in that game but South Africa won the match on the back of Heinrich Klassen’s masterclass batting.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has bounced back superbly: Sanjay Manjrekar

Bhuvneshwar bowled a burgeoning inswinger to castle Jos Buttler upfront in the first T20I match in Southampton giving the impression of his old sparks.

“Bhuvneshwar Kumar recently gave an interview, and he is at his peak at the moment. Eighteen months back, we thought he may not have an international career. But he has bounced back superbly and is a certainty to make the T20 world cup squad,” Manjrekar said on Sports18.

Bhuvneshwar is currently playing the five-match T20I series for India against the West Indies in the Caribbean. He has picked three wickets in as many games in the series so far at an economy of 7.25.

Also Read: IND vs WI: Arshdeep Singh Seems To Have Arrived In International Stage With A Kind Of Maturity – Bhuvneshwar Kumar