NZ vs IND, T20Is: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back at 36. But where are India’s next-gen T20 fast bowlers?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in India’s T20I set-up, nearly four years after his last appearance in the format. At 36, the veteran seamer will be part of the pace attack for the five-match New Zealand series in October alongside Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, with Jasprit Bumrah rested.

There is nothing particularly surprising about the selection on one level. Bhuvneshwar has been rewarded for doing what a player outside the national set-up is expected to do: perform. He has been excellent for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over the last two IPL seasons and has continued to demonstrate the new-ball control, swing and experience that have made him one of India’s most dependable T20 bowlers.

But his comeback also throws up a larger question. Why, after four years of looking for India’s next generation of T20 fast bowlers, does a 36-year-old who last played for the country in 2022 suddenly become the answer when Bumrah is rested?

The numbers tell a story.

And those two are Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.

Hardik Pandya, who has been used extensively as a fast-bowling all-rounder, and Shivam Dube also cross the 20-match mark. But among specialist fast bowlers, the gap between India’s established pair and everyone else is striking.

1. Arshdeep Singh — 75 matches | 2022–2026 | 112 wickets
2. Shivam Dube — 67 matches | 2023–2026 | 35 wickets
3. Hardik Pandya — 58 matches | 2022–2026 | 52 wickets
4. Jasprit Bumrah — 40 matches | 2023–2026 | 56 wickets
5. Mukesh Kumar — 17 matches | 2023–2024 | 20 wickets
6. Harshit Rana — 14 matches | 2025–2026 | 16 wickets
7. Avesh Khan — 10 matches | 2023–2024 | 14 wickets
8. Mohammed Siraj — 10 matches | 2022–2026 | 10 wickets
9. Prasidh Krishna — 8 matches | 2023–2026 | 9 wickets
10. Mayank Yadav — 7 matches | 2024–2026 | 10 wickets
11. Prince Yadav — 6 matches | 2026 | 9 wickets
12. Shivam Mavi — 6 matches | 2023 | 7 wickets
13. Umran Malik — 5 matches | 2023 | 9 wickets
14. Khaleel Ahmed — 4 matches | 2024 | 3 wickets
15. Yash Thakur — 4 matches | 2026 | 5 wickets
16. Ashok Sharma — 2 matches | 2026 | 1 wicket
17. Tushar Deshpande — 2 matches | 2024 | 2 wickets
18. Mohammed Shami — 2 matches | 2025 | 3 wickets
19. Harshal Patel — 2 matches | 2022–2023 | 3 wickets
20. Deepak Chahar — 1 match | 2023 | 2 wickets

All-rounders in this period

1. Nitish Kumar Reddy — 7 matches | 2024–2026 | 9 wickets
2. Suryansh Shedge — 3 matches | 2026 | 0 wickets
3. Ramandeep Singh — 2 matches | 2024 | 1 wicket

There are caveats. Fast bowling is an unforgiving profession, and injuries have repeatedly disrupted India’s plans. Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, among others, have had fitness issues. Mayank Yadav’s international career has also been interrupted. Some players were given opportunities because India needed a particular skill for a particular series, rather than as part of a long-term succession plan.

But that is precisely what makes the larger picture worth examining. India have had plenty of auditions. They have not had many successful promotions.

The most revealing evidence may come from the two T20 World Cups that followed Bhuvneshwar’s exit.

India’s pace groups at the last two T20 World Cups

In other words, between the 2024 and 2026 tournaments, only one fresh specialist fast bowler, Harshit Rana, made his way into India’s World Cup group.

That raises the uncomfortable question: what happened to all the experimentation in bilateral cricket?

The purpose of giving opportunities to the likes of Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, Prasidh Krishna, Mayank Yadav and others is ultimately to identify players who can be trusted when the stakes rise. Yet when India reach the biggest stage, the hierarchy has repeatedly narrowed back down to the same names.

This does not mean the selectors were wrong to move on from every player who received an opportunity. Nor does it mean every young bowler should have been given an extended run irrespective of performance. International cricket does not work that way.

But the churn does raise a more fundamental question about succession planning. Have India actually found their next group of dependable T20 quicks, or have they simply continued searching?

Bhuvneshwar’s recall makes that question harder to ignore.

He has earned his place. There is no reason to dress the selection up as anything else. His performances for RCB in the last two IPL seasons have put him back in the conversation, and with Bumrah being rested, India’s attack suddenly benefits from having someone who has spent more than a decade learning how to bowl with the new ball, manage the middle overs and operate under pressure.

For Bhuvneshwar, it is a deserved reward. For the younger fast bowlers, though, it is also a message. You have had four years to make this position your own.

And the pool is larger than the names India have actually tried. The IPL continues to throw up Indian fast-bowling options who have put together strong seasons without yet making the T20I cut. Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary and Kartik Tyagi, for instance, have all had spells that have put them on the domestic radar, yet remain outside the national T20I set-up.

The timing of his comeback makes that message even more interesting.

According to PTI reporting, Central Zone selector RP Singh had backed Bhuvneshwar’s return earlier but did not find enough support during Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chairman of selectors. With Agarkar gone, Bhuvneshwar returned in the first selection meeting under interim chairman Pragyan Ojha.

And the change in timing is difficult to ignore.

Agarkar’s selection committee had generally been willing to look forward rather than repeatedly reopen doors for established players. India’s transition away from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Tests, the decision to move beyond Mohammed Shami in the longer format and the opportunities given to younger players were all part of that broader approach.

Bhuvneshwar was on the other side of that philosophy. Now Agarkar has left, and Bhuvneshwar is back.

There is nothing wrong with going back when the player has earned it. In fact, refusing to do so simply because of age would be an equally questionable selection philosophy.

But Bhuvneshwar’s return should not only be celebrated as the comeback of a fine bowler. It should also prompt some introspection about what happened to the succession plan.

India do not necessarily have a shortage of fast bowlers. What they appear to have lacked is a fast bowler who has managed to turn an opportunity into a long-term claim on the shirt.

Bhuvneshwar’s return is good news for India in the immediate sense. He gives them experience, control and a skill set that remains valuable. It is good news for Bhuvneshwar because he has earned another chance at the highest level.

But for the younger crop, there is an uncomfortable question sitting underneath the comeback.

– Ends