3 min readOct 13, 2026 01:17 PM IST
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand starting next week was one of the main headlines of the squad announcement, marking the pacer’s comeback into India’s setup after four years.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin felt that Bhuvneshwar was not thinking of making a comeback while putting in the performances, especially for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL and never focused on the end result.
“I have a feeling that Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn’t even thought about a comeback. I think this will be his mantra for success. And when I’m watching him from afar, I have also experienced this myself, he has gone on his own journey,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“That I will do well, I will bowl well with the new ball, I will do well for RCB. Whatever I can do, I should do it. And that’s what he did. So the gift he received is the fruit of his success. He has never looked for this fruit. He has done his job and he has got success,” he added.
The 36-year-old’s return to the India fold also sparked speculation about Mohammed Shami coming back, and Ashwin felt that he could return despite his age; he needed to work hard for it.
“It depends on the cricketer. If a player has the belief that he can return, then they have to work hard towards it,” Ashwin added.
The 40-year-old also revealed that there was a lot of banter when he was around Jasprit Bumrah, and his relationship with Virat Kohli improved after the latter gave up captaincy and played merely as a batsman in the team.
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“My relationship with Jassi is very good. Because Jassi and I always joke. There is not much conversation between us as cricketers. Between us, I pull his leg, he pulls my leg. So, I think our relationship is very banter-oriented. And with Virat Kohli, he was also a captain at one point. Then he became a player. Actually, my relationship with Virat became even better when he became a player,” he added.
The 106-Test veteran felt that India were strong contenders for the 2027 ODI World Cup, but added that co-host South Africa were also favourites.
“India has the ability. If Jasprit Bumrah is firing on all cylinders, he will have a good fast-bowling experience. India has a good spin stock. There, in a lot of grounds, you will get the help of spin. There is experience in batting.”
“But I will honestly say that 2-3 teams look good to me. Out of them, South Africa is the best. I think South Africa will be a serious contender for the home World Cup. So India will have to play against the South African team. India is also a very strong team. I think South Africa, in South African conditions, especially after SA20, I think they have the skills, they know all the conditions, they play good cricket and the team looks together. That’s a very strong force in cricket,” he said.
