Bhuvneshwar Kumar eyes India comeback after back-to-back IPL titles with RCB

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Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has emerged as a candidate for a national team recall following his important role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) title victories. The 36-year-old seamer, who last played for India in 2022, has expressed a desire to represent the country once again.

Bhuvneshwar played a key role in RCB’s recent IPL dominance, taking 17 wickets during their 2025 campaign while bowling effectively across all phases of the innings. 

He improved on his already impressive performance even further in 2026, finishing with 28 wickets at an average of 17.89, falling just a single wicket short of claiming a record third Purple Cap, to help seal RCB’s back-to-back titles.

Appearing on Jatin Sapru’s YouTube channel, Bhuvneshwar shared his current perspective on selection, admitting that he is not looking to prove anything but would be happy to play for the Indian team again.

“I’m not playing to prove anything, but I’d be happy to play for India again. I have gone past that time when I used to wait for the next series.”

Bhuvneshwar Kumar opens up on national team aspirations

Kumar said he initially believed he could return to the Indian team after receiving a call suggesting he might feature in the next couple of series. However, he later realised that was not the case. While the setback was difficult, he said he eventually came to terms with it, with his family playing a key role in helping him cope.

“Till a few series. Because I had received a call. What they said, based on that, I felt maybe the next two series. But then I realised it’s not what they said. It wasn’t hurtful, because then I knew what was happening, and I made peace with it. It wasn’t easy, but family played a big role,” he explained regarding the emotional process of coming to terms with his exclusion.

The veteran pacer’s last appearance for India came in a T20I against New Zealand at Napier in November 2022, shortly after India’s semifinal exit at the T20 World Cup in Australia. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s recent IPL form has now reopened discussions regarding his potential return to the national setup ahead of the ODI World Cup in South Africa next year.

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