Veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s much-anticipated return to the Indian T20I setup has arrived sooner than expected.
The 36-year-old pacer, initially named for the upcoming New Zealand tour, has been added to India’s squad for the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Bhuvneshwar’s late call-up comes after left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad.
With the five-match series locked at 2-2 following West Indies’ 24-run win, India may lean on Bhuvneshwar’s wealth of experience for the series decider at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The seasoned bowler earned his international recall following a stellar IPL 2026 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he picked up 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy rate of 7.95 to help RCB defend their title. Having last played a T20I in November 2022, Bhuvneshwar’s prowess with the new ball and death-over execution could prove vital.
India’s Updated Squad:
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
