Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Should selection panel pick the experienced campaigner for ODIs?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (PC: IPL/BCCI)

If you’re a Bhuvneshwar Kumar fan, then Instagram is the right place for you: the platform comprises countless reels of the skilful bowler’s traits to swing it this way or that way at the tilt of the wrist. Those nostalgic memories of him playing Yo-Yo strings with Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammed Hafeez and Co. from the 2012-13 season are still a part of an Indian cricket fan’s psyche. Not surprisingly, when the evergreen pacer made a comeback into the Indian T20I set-up after a gap of four years, hundreds and hundreds of fans rejoiced and celebrated it with his wicket-taking reels.

Just remove the outer layer of nostalgic memories and enough logic could also be observed behind the selectors’ move to return to Bhuvneshwar. The affable pacer bagged 28 wickets in the 2026 IPL. The 36-year-old also seems to have worked hard on his fitness. It was an eye-opener to witness Bhuvneshwar bowling well-directed short deliveries in the IPL final against Gujarat Titans. More importantly, with Jasprit Bumrah not in the T20I squad for New Zealand, the selectors perhaps thought of picking Bhuvneshwar for his invaluable experience.

Interestingly, there are also whispers that the Indian selection panel is mulling whether to return to Bhuvneshwar for the ODIs ahead of the 2027 World Cup. On the back of inexperienced Indian pace bowlers going for plenty in batting-friendly conditions against the West Indies, thousands and thousands of fans are rooting for the inclusion of both Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar.

With Bhuvneshwar offering the wisdom of experience from having played 50-over World Cups in the past, there is merit to the above-mentioned school of thought. Bhuvneshwar is also a capable batter lower down the order. However, there are caveats attached to such a move. To begin with, the conditions in the recently concluded ODI series were such that even the experienced campaigner may not have escaped from being severely punished.

Moreover, Bhuvneshwar averages 35.11 in ODIs and averages 200 in eight 50-over matches in South Africa. In a nutshell, unlike T20 cricket, his record in the 50-over format doesn’t shine brightly. He also hasn’t played List A or first-class cricket for around three years now. So, how can the selectors gauge his fitness to bowl 10 overs over a slew of games in next year’s World Cup?

Remember, in modern-day white-ball cricket, the white new Kookaburra ball doesn’t swing for long either. And unlike the shortest format, the batters are ready to milk the bowling around. In that context, it kind of negates the key skill sets of Bhuvneshwar: conventional swing and defensive bowling.

After zooming in on both sides of the argument, logically, it feels as if the existing inexperienced pace bowlers in the ODI set-up deserve a longer run. Or rather, India have to build for the future, rather than living in the past.

The post Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Should selection panel pick the experienced campaigner for ODIs? appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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