Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been recalled to the national side after four years, and the veteran is likely to play in the first T20I against New Zealand on Thursday (October 22). He was added to the team for the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies and was also included in the starting XI. However, he couldn’t bowl as the game was called off due to rain in Bengaluru. The right-arm speedster will take the field when the two teams compete at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Former India skipper Rohit Sharma, who has played with the fast bowler in the past, sent a message to the seamer before the start of the five-match T20I series.

Speaking on the Family Full House with Rohit Sharma, the opener said: “We will go to New Zealand, and I hope he performs well.”

Bhuvneshwar was part of the Rohit Sharma-led squad in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Although the Men in Blue made it to the semi-final, England dominated the subcontinent team, securing a 10-wicket win. Bhuvneshwar travelled to New Zealand from Australia and was dropped after the bilateral assignment.

Bhuvneshwar has been sensational for Royal Challengers Bengaluru since joining the franchise ahead of IPL 2025. He picked up 17 wickets and added another 28 scalps to his overall record in 2026, with the team winning two consecutive titles. In 88 T20Is, he has taken 90 wickets.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn’t played the fifty-over format since the South Africa tour in 2022. He played his last ODI under KL Rahul’s captaincy as Rohit was ruled out due to injury. His last Test came in 2018 under Virat Kohli’s leadership.

India’s T20I squad for New Zealand series

Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.