Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in the Indian cricket team after four years, and he says he never chased the national jersey during that time — crediting the Indian Premier League (IPL) for earning him the recall. Alongside his return, he has switched his international jersey number from 15 to 87. His comeback arrives during a T20I series against New Zealand in which India’s bowling has come under close scrutiny ahead of the second match.
The Indian pace bowler’s return has generated several fresh headlines, from his explanation of the jersey-number change to debate over India’s attack balance. This article assembles everything reported in the current coverage and flags clearly where details remain unconfirmed.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is an Indian international cricketer best known as a pace bowler who has long been associated with the IPL, where he built his name as a swing bowler. Over the years he has become one of India’s most experienced limited-overs bowlers, which is why a four-year absence from the national team makes his recall a major talking point. His return arrives at a time when India is fine-tuning its combinations for its T20I contest against New Zealand, and his experience is expected to be weighed against the form of others in the mix.
Speaking after earning his place back in the squad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar told The Times of India: “Four years, I never chased this Indian jersey.” The remark underlines that, despite his long absence from international colours, he never obsessed over forcing a return, instead staying productive in the IPL while continuing to work on his craft.
According to the same Times of India report, Bhuvneshwar Kumar credits the IPL for his India comeback. In other words, strong performances in the T20 league — rather than a single breakthrough game — are what he believes earned him another look from the national selectors. The headlines do not reveal specific IPL figures or match numbers behind the statement, and those details would need to be taken from the full report.
Whenever a bowler returns after an extended gap, the immediate questions concern role, rhythm and how he fits alongside in-form teammates. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s case is no different. Selectors are reportedly weighing India’s bowling balance ahead of the second T20I against New Zealand, which naturally shapes where an experienced comeback candidate might fit in the powerplay and the middle overs. None of the outlets summarized here have confirmed his exact slot in the playing XI.
India Today’s coverage frames the change as “15 to 87,” noting there is a logic behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s new jersey number. Previously he wore the No. 15 shirt for India; he now wears No. 87. Whatever personal reasoning sits behind that number was not included in the headline-level reporting, so the explanation should be confirmed from the full article rather than guessed at here. What is clear is that the change is official and deliberate, and that it has drawn enough interest to become one of the season’s trending cricket stories.
Dinesh Karthik has urged India to include an extra spinner for the second T20I against New Zealand, as reported by Oherald. The suggestion reflects some unease about how India’s attack has performed and how the team’s balance matches up against New Zealand’s batting.
Rediff’s coverage puts India’s bowling woes under the microscope ahead of the second T20I. Combined with Karthik’s request for an additional spinner, the framing suggests open questions about India’s pace-versus-spin balance — the same considerations that surround recall candidates such as Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The summarized headlines do not publish specific bowling averages or economy rates, so those numbers should be drawn from the original reports rather than repeated here.
Cricbuzz is currently carrying live cricket scores, the match schedule, latest news, stats and videos relating to the series and the comeback storylines. For anyone tracking Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return from ball to ball, that is the kind of destination the current coverage points toward. Practical steps to stay updated:
| Fact | Detail reported in current headlines |
|---|---|
| Time away from the Indian team | Four years |
| His stated view | “I never chased this Indian jersey” (The Times of India) |
| Reason credited for the recall | IPL performances |
| Previous jersey number | 15 |
| New jersey number | 87 |
| Immediate match context | Second T20I vs New Zealand |
| Related selection debate | Dinesh Karthik urges an extra spinner |
Where current coverage stays silent, this article does not speculate. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s confirmed selection for the second T20I, the specific IPL innings behind the recall, the full reasoning for jersey number 87, and concrete bowling statistics are not stated in the headlines summarized here. Readers who want those details should consult the complete Times of India, India Today, Oherald, Rediff or Cricbuzz pieces linked from the ongoing coverage.
According to The Times of India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the Indian team came after a gap of four years. He said he never chased the Indian jersey during that period and credits his performances in the IPL for helping him win his way back into international contention.
India Today coverage, framed as "15 to 87," reported the switch from his previous jersey number 15 to the new number 87 and described a logic behind the choice. The specific explanation was not included in the headline-level reporting summarized here, so the detailed reasoning remains unconfirmed in this article.
As reported by Oherald, Dinesh Karthik urged the Indian team to include an extra spinner for the second T20I against New Zealand. The suggestion came amid wider discussion of India's bowling concerns ahead of that match, a theme also picked up by Rediff.
Live cricket scores, schedules, latest news, stats and videos for the India vs New Zealand T20I series are available on Cricbuzz. The site is among the outlets currently tracking stories about Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return and India's team outlook ahead of the second T20I.
The current headlines do not confirm his selection for the match. He is back in the Indian setup and the second T20I against New Zealand is the immediate context, but with India's bowling balance under debate, his exact slot in the playing XI has not been stated in the summarized coverage.
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