Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has said that he has made peace with the fact he is no longer part of the national setup, crediting his family in helping him come to terms with the reality. The 36-year-old, whose last India appearance came in 2022, said that having no discussions about the game at home played a big role in ensuring he carried no regrets.
“I am at peace, and I give credit to my family. At home, we never talk about cricket. We never talk about whether I’ll get back into the Indian team, why I wasn’t selected, or what went wrong. That played a big role, and there is no regret. When you’re a core member of a team, everyone says: “Team comes first.” But when you’re no longer in the team, naturally you feel: “Maybe I should still be there,” Bhuvneshwar told the RCB Podcast.
“I understand that transitions are a part of sport. I understand that generations change. I’m not the first player to experience this, and I certainly won’t be the last. That is part of the game. Family plays a big role. I am happy being where I am,” he added.
Having already represented India, Bhuvneshwar said another national call-up was no longer the driving force behind his career.
“I’ve already played for India. That’s not something I have to achieve now. If I get another opportunity, that’s great, but I’ve been there. Everything I’m doing now is because of my love for the game. I know I have to stay disciplined. I play domestic cricket, I play the UP T20 League. I make sure I play enough cricket to stay in touch, while also giving myself enough breaks to recover and stay refreshed,” he said.
The seamer said he continues to play purely for the love of the game and that, with experience, he has come to truly understand some of cricket’s most repeated clichés.
“I’m still playing the IPL and domestic cricket because I love the game. When you’re young and playing for India, you say you love the game. But only now do I actually understand phrases like ‘control the controllables’, ‘don’t overthink’ and ‘play for the passion of the game’. I can genuinely feel those things,” he said.
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Bhuvneshwar was part of a phase in Indian cricket when there was a mindset shift from a spin-oriented attack to a pace-bowling-dominant one. He credited the IPL for helping identify fast bowling talent and also to Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for having a vision for Indian cricket.
“The IPL deserves a lot of credit because it exposed so many talented fast bowlers to high-level cricket. You bring them to the setup, and they mature over time. Traditionally, Indian pitches favoured spin, while overseas conditions suited fast bowling. But during that period, a lot of credit goes to Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. They had a clear vision.”
“I remember we had important overseas tours coming up. Before those tours, even our home Test matches were played on pitches that helped fast bowlers, simply to prepare us. That showed their vision: they were about building a pace attack. Small decisions like that matter a lot,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar also spoke about former India pacer Praveen Kumar’s influence in his career, admitting that he learnt a lot watching him go about his work.
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“We come from the same academy. When I first joined, he was already playing state cricket. By the time I reached state level, he was playing for India. Our bowling styles were naturally very similar. When I was younger, I was too shy to keep asking him questions.”
“Instead, I simply observed him. Not just him – my coaches and senior players too. Looking back, I realise how lucky I was. The guidance I received during those years built the strong bowling fundamentals that I still rely on today,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026, claiming 28 scalps in 16 matches at an economy rate of 7.95.
