Legendary India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has finally opened up about being overlooked for national duty since 2022. Celebrating his 35th birthday, the experienced seamer weighed in on his ongoing exclusion from the Indian team and reiterated that as long as he keeps performing, the selectors are the ones who have to decide.
Bhuvneshwar’s last appearance in the India jersey came in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide, which India lost by 10 wickets. Since then, the swing bowler has been on the sidelines, with the selectors going for younger choices in both T20Is and ODIs.
Talking about his future in international cricket, Bhuvneshwar said in an interview with Dainik Jagran: “Aapko iska uttar chayanakarta denge (Only the selectors can answer that).”
“Luck Also Plays A Role”
The Meerut-born seamer hinted that performance at times cannot assure selection. “Being a disciplined bowler, my attention is always on fitness and line-length. Regardless of how you bowl, at times luck does not go in your favour,” he said, referring to frustration at being left out for long.
Even as he was left out, he promised to continue giving his best at the domestic level. “My duty is to perform 100 percent on the field, and I am doing it. If I am ever offered a chance to play for Uttar Pradesh in Mushtaq Ali, Ranji, or One-Day cricket after the UP league, then I will do my best there as well,” he further said.
Hope Under New BCCI Leadership
With Rajeev Shukla currently serving as interim BCCI president, Bhuvneshwar expressed cautious optimism. “Your performance is paramount. If someone plays good cricket consistently, they cannot be ignored for long. Even if you’re not selected, focus on giving your 100 percent. The rest is up to the selectors. Yes, with Rajeev Shukla as president, it will be difficult to overlook talent.”
IPL Impact Still Strong
Though sidelined globally, Bhuvneshwar is making his mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Earlier this year, he was instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first-ever IPL title triumph, capturing 17 wickets in 14 games.
Earlier with SunRisers Hyderabad, he took 15 wickets before being released prior to the mega auction. In 190 IPL games, the two-time IPL champion has taken 198 wickets, earning him a reputation as one of the league’s most consistent pacers.
For the time being, Bhuvneshwar continues to be on the fitness and domestic scene, looking for a second India call-up. Whether the selectors throw him a lifeline is not known yet, but his resilience and statistics underscore a career that will not die away quietly.
