Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who suffered two semi-final heartbreaks in ICC tournaments, has opened up on which loss was harder to digest. The Indian seamer, who has led the RCB bowling attack in back-to-back title-winning seasons, was part of the 2019 ODI and 2022 T20 World Cup campaigns.
Speaking on Jatin Sapru’s YouTube show, Bhuvneshwar said it is the 2019 World Cup loss to New Zealand that hurts the most. India, led by Virat Kohli, were chasing 240 runs at Old Trafford when they lost their top three for just five runs.
India eventually fell short despite Ravindra Jadeja’s 77 off 59 balls, with MS Dhoni’s 50 off 72 unable to take them over the line.
“The 2019 semi-final loss was more heartbreaking for me. We were chasing a very normal ODI target, and everyone expected us to win. The England semi-final was different because it was a T20, where anything can happen. The next-day finish in 2019 may have changed things because there was moisture after the rain, but you never know. If the win wasn’t written for us, perhaps we wouldn’t have won even on the first day,” Bhuvneshwar said.
The 2019 defeat remains one of the most painful moments of Bhuvneshwar’s international career, but his focus has since shifted away from waiting for another India opportunity.
‘DO NOT EXPECT INDIA COMEBACK’
Bhuvneshwar last played for India in November 2022, during the T20I series against New Zealand. He has not returned to the national side since, despite remaining one of the most consistent performers in the IPL.
The 35-year-old played a key role in RCB’s back-to-back IPL title-winning campaigns. He picked up 17 wickets in IPL 2025 before taking his tally to 28 wickets in 2026, finishing just one wicket behind the Purple Cap winner.
Despite his performances, Bhuvneshwar admitted that he is no longer expecting an India comeback.
“I’m not playing to prove anything, but I’d be happy to play for India again,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar revealed that he had initially expected to receive another opportunity after his last appearance for India. However, after waiting for a few series and eventually realising that a return was unlikely, he made peace with the situation.
“Till a few series,” he said when asked if he expected to return to the Indian side after the New Zealand tour. “Because I had received a call. What they said, based on that I felt maybe next two series. But then I realised it’s not what they said.
“It wasn’t hurtful, because then I knew what was happening, and I made peace with it. It wasn’t easy, but family played a big role,” he added.
Bhuvneshwar also revealed that he had already sensed during the 2022 T20 World Cup that his time in the Indian team could be coming to an end.
After India’s semi-final defeat to England in Adelaide, he returned to his room and told his wife Nupur that he believed he had played his last World Cup.
“In Adelaide it happened. I came to my room and told my wife. I told this from my experience. In the dressing room, everyone was disappointed. There were a few briefs before we left. But when I came back to my room I told Nupur this was my last World Cup. Because what I have seen from my experience, when you lose a tournament like this selectors want to look ahead, and that is fair,” he said.
Four years after his last appearance for India, Bhuvneshwar is therefore no longer waiting for a call. His recent IPL performances may have put his name back into the conversation, but the veteran seamer insists that playing for India again would be a bonus rather than something he is chasing.
– Ends
