In Indian cricket, where the conveyor belt of talent spares no effort to churn out prodigies in all formats, earning a recall to the national side is like lightning striking twice. With selectors always nurturing younger and emerging talents, older players cast aside from the system rarely get a second lease on life.

However, cricket has a knack for throwing open doors on the back of injuries, hectic fixtures, and rotation.

But being in and around the game at a domestic level for so long or sitting on the sidelines for years at a stretch does not always translate into success at the international level.

The pressure, weight of expectations, and leap in standards can break even the most seasoned campaigners. While some make a spectacular return on a fairy-tale run, others break their hearts on the sport's biggest stage.

Let's look at three Indian cricketers whose comeback matches failed to live up to their billing.

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/49)

NZ vs IND 1st T20I (2026) | Hagley Oval, Christchurch

After nearly four years in the wilderness, veteran swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a highly anticipated comeback in the 2026 tour of New Zealand.

Technically part of the squad in the West Indies earlier in the year, a rain-curtailed series meant that Kumar didn't bowl a ball in anger. His eagerly awaited return to first-class cricket began in Christchurch, where the experienced seamer proceeded to bowl a forgettable spell.

Hagley Oval provided reasonably good bounce and pace, allowing Kumar to generate late swing on the ball. However, it took till the 4th over for the veteran to record a wicket. New Zealand opener Tim Seifert took charge of the proceedings, scoring 17 runs off Kumar's 2nd over to derail the bowling attack.

Bhuvneshwar finished with 0/49 in 4 overs, the second-most expensive spell of his T20I career, and the most by far in a T20I match in New Zealand. The right-arm fast bowler turned out to be the most expensive bowler for India in the match as his eagerly awaited comeback turned out to be a nightmare.

2. Karun Nair (0 & 20)

ENG vs IND 1st Test (2025) | Headingley, Leeds

There were few comebacks as emotional and painful as Karun Nair's return to the Test fold after an eight-year exile. India's second-ever Test triple centurion had been discarded from the national setup after the infamous 2017 home series against Australia.

Nair continued to amass runs in the domestic circuit and was rewarded with a recall for the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Test series in England.

The former Hyderabad captain was surprisingly included in the starting XI for the 1st Test at Headingley, and his fans were hoping that this time it would be a triumphant return to Test cricket. Instead, Nair's dreams of a Test hundred were shattered early when he was out for a four-ball duck by England captain Ben Stokes in the first innings. He was even worse in the second Test as he battled for 20 runs off 54 balls before falling to the same bowler.

Nair did manage to play four Tests in the 2-2 series draw but couldn't replicate his heroics in the previous year, and he was dropped again after the match in Leeds.

3. Dinesh Karthik (4)

IND vs AFG One-off Test (2018) | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

While Dinesh Karthik remained a mainstay in limited-overs cricket, his Test career appeared to be over after 2010. MS Dhoni's retirement in 2014 and the emergence of Wriddhiman Saha as India's first-choice wicketkeeper meant that Karthik spent the next eight years as a backup keeper. He was on the periphery of the Test setup, playing 87 consecutive matches without a single Test appearance.

Karthik's career was given a new lease of life when Saha suffered an injury before the one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Bengaluru. However, the opening stand failed to capitalize on the opportunity as Karthik was run out for a four-ball duck in the match that India won by an innings and 262 runs.

The relief was short-lived as the next series in England saw Karthik remain in the shadows as Rishabh Pant announced his arrival in Test cricket. The new boy was preferred to Karthik, who was run out twice in four innings in the series. In fact, this turn of events ended up being the end of the road for Karthik as he was dropped from the Test squad.