Former Indian opener Sadagoppan Ramesh credited Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s recent dominant performances for veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the T20I side for the upcoming series in New Zealand. After retiring from Tests and T20Is, Kohli and Rohit’s places in the Indian ODI side have been questioned several times over the past year.
However, the duo have silenced the doubters with their consistently dominant performances. Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar hasn’t played for India since the 2022 T20I series in New Zealand.
The 36-year-old starred with the ball in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026, including finishing as the second-leading wicket-taker in the 2026 season.
Talking about the selectors finally recalling Bhuvneshwar to the T20I side, Ramesh said on his Instagram handle:
“To come back after four years is amazing. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have sent a strong message that age is just a number. With that, the BCCI and the selectors’ thought process have also clearly changed. After the exit of the selector who thought age wasn’t just a number, the other members of the selection committee, with the freedom to decide, have picked performance over age with Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s inclusion.”
He continued:
“His bowling was the biggest pillar in RCB winning back-to-back titles. He tormented all the batters with his banana swing. It was clear that he maintained incredible fitness and form. It’s why all the fans were pushing for his recall, and finally their prayers have been answered.”
Bhuvneshwar boasts excellent T20I numbers with 90 wickets at an average of 23.10 and an economy of under seven.
“The next stop will be Mohammed Shami” – S Ramesh
Sadagoppan Ramesh believes a strong comeback from Bhuvneshwar Kumar could help fellow veteran pacer Mohammed Shami return to the Indian side. Despite being one of India’s most accomplished bowlers, Shami, 36, has not played for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar doing well in his return is important for two reasons. The first is just that he’s a highly skilled bowler. But the second and more important reason is that if Bhuvneshwar also proves that age is just a number through his bowling, the next stop will be Mohammed Shami, and Shami will get his opportunity,” said Ramesh (via the aforementioned source).
It remains to be seen whether Bhuvneshwar features in the playing XI for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand, starting on October 22.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
