Bhuvneshwar Kumar forced his way back into Team India after two back-to-back memorable IPL seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The senior pacer scalped 17 wickets in IPL 2025 and followed up with 28 wickets in 2026. RCB ended their title drought and won back-to-back IPL titles. Bhuvneshwar was named in the national squad after four years and he returned for the New Zealand tour. He was also added to the T20I squad for the fifth game against South Africa. Bhuvneshwar's return hasn't gone the way he would have expected and he only managed one wicket in four games. He was also dropped from the playing XI for one game. Irfan Pathan has shared his take on Bhuvneshwar's return and opined that the selectors made a mistake by recalling him. "In my opinion, where did the selectors go wrong? They made a mistake by playing Bhuvneshwar Kumar in this series. Look, there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar is a good bowler and a senior player. However, playing him here, when the T20 World Cup is nowhere near, was questionable. If you were preparing Bhuvneshwar for the 50-over World Cup, which is closer, that would have made sense," Pathan said on his YouTube channel. "By including him in this series, however, you missed out on giving young fast bowlers an opportunity. A youngster could have played in his place and gained valuable experience. Mayank [Yadav] could have played all the matches and gained that exposure, while Prince Yadav could have played too. You missed a valuable opportunity for your fast bowlers to gain good experience on New Zealand soil," he added. Bhuvneshwar Kumar could lose his spot in T20I team. Photo: BCCI Bhuvneshwar could lose his place in the T20I squad following below-par returns against NZ. India will play their next T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. He could make way for Prasidh Krishna or any other pacer. India will now face NZ in five ODIs and two Test matches. Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Irfan Pathan. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of 'intent' remain those of the creator. Rishav Narang is an experienced writer with nine years of experience in sports journalism. He extensively writes on cricket and covers live matches, b... View More