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Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) triumphs, veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has emerged as a contender for a return to the Indian national team.
The 36-year-old, who last represented India in 2022, has also expressed his desire to make a comeback and once again don the national colours. He claimed 17 wickets for RCB in IPL 2025, proving effective with both the new and old ball. He raised his game further in 2026, finishing with 28 wickets, just one short of winning the Purple Cap for a record third time, at an impressive average of 17.89, playing a key role in RCBs back-to-back title triumphs. "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 said on Jatin Sapru's YouTube channel. 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 said. The veteran seamer last represented India in the T20I format in November 2022, featuring in the Napier match of the series that followed India's semifinal exit from the T20 World Cup in Australia. Kumar has represented India in 229 matches across formats, claiming 294 wickets at an impressive average of 29.50, including seven five-wicket hauls. (ANI)
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