Bhuvneshwar Kumar has earned a recall to India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand, with the experienced fast bowler returning to the national setup after impressive IPL campaigns for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The 36-year-old last played for India in November 2022, with his previous international appearance also coming in New Zealand shortly after the T20 World Cup. His return comes after a particularly productive IPL 2026 campaign, during which he claimed 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Makes India T20I Comeback

Bhuvneshwar’s selection marks his return to India’s T20I plans nearly four years after his last appearance for the national team. His performances in the IPL have now earned him another opportunity at international level.

The fast bowler was among the standout performers for RCB during IPL 2026, taking 28 wickets while maintaining an economy rate below eight runs per over.

His experience could add another option to India’s pace attack ahead of the New Zealand series, which begins on October 22 with the opening T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Varun Chakaravarthy Returns, Ravi Bishnoi Misses Out

Varun Chakaravarthy has also returned to the squad after an injury-disrupted 2026 campaign. The spinner last featured for India against Afghanistan in Delhi, where he suffered a side strain.

The injury subsequently ruled Chakaravarthy out of the one-off T20I against Japan and the Asian Games. He now returns to the squad in place of Ravi Bishnoi.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the 16-member squad, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the wicketkeeping options, while the squad also includes young batters Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Naman Dhir.

Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav complete the squad alongside the returning Bhuvneshwar and Varun.

Jasprit Bumrah has not been included for the T20I leg of the tour, with his workload likely being managed ahead of the two-Test series against New Zealand later in the trip.