India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand was announced on Tuesday, leaving fans surprised. Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned a recall to the Indian team after a gap of almost four years. Bhuvneshwar, who was once India’s most reliable fast bowler across formats, had been out of favour with the selectors since 2022. However, his consistently impressive performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL prompted the team management to bring him back into the national setup.
As the squad featuring Bhuvneshwar’s name was announced, his wife, Nupur Nagar, took to Instagram to celebrate the moment. She shared a screenshot of the squad announcement and accompanied it with a folded-hands emoji and the word, “Gratidao.”
Apart from this, Nupur shared former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik‘s video, where he was congratulating the pacer on his return to the Indian team.
The 36-year-old last represented India in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Adelaide Oval in November 2022. Bhuvneshwar claimed 45 wickets across the last two IPL editions for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and played an important role in the franchise’s title-winning campaigns. His consistency with the new ball and wealth of experience have now earned him another opportunity in India’s T20I setup.
The pacer had recently been named captain of India’s squad for the Hong Kong Sixes, but his inclusion in the T20I squad means he will miss the tournament.
Apart from Bhuvneshwar’s return, the other notable change is the inclusion of Varun Chakaravarthy, who returns after recovering from the side strain that ruled him out following the first T20I against Afghanistan last month. Ravi Bishnoi, who was part of the previous squad, has been left out. India’s prime pacer Jasprit Bumrah is also not included in the team, as he is expected to play a major role in the ODI and Test assignment.
India will begin the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Christchurch on October 22, with the second match also scheduled at the same venue on October 24. The teams will then move to Wellington for the third T20I on October 27, followed by matches in Auckland on October 30 and Hamilton on November 1.
The BCCI is yet to announce the squads for the ODI and Test legs of the tour. India are scheduled to play five ODIs and two Tests against New Zealand after the T20I series.
(With IANS Inputs)
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