World Cup 2019 target was chaseable, didn’t expect India’s comeback: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who suffered two semi-final heartbreaks in ICC tournaments, opened the loss more difficult to digest. The Indian seamer, who led RCB’s bowling attack in back-to-back title-winning seasons, was part of the 2019 ODI and 2022 World T20 campaigns.
Speaking on Jatin Sapru’s YouTube show, Bhuvneshwar said that the World Cup 2019 loss to New Zealand hurt the most. India, led by Virat Kohli, were chasing 240 runs at Old Trafford, losing their top three for just five runs.
India eventually fell behind despite Ravindra Jadeja’s 77 off 59 balls and MS Dhoni’s 50 off 72 failing to take them over the line.
“Losing the semi-final in 2019 was 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’s finish in 2019 might have changed things because it was wet after the rain, but you never know. If the first day wasn’t written, we wouldn’t have written for us.” said Bhuvneshwar.
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 the next opportunity for India.
“DO NOT EXPECT THE RETURN OF INDIA”
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 took 17 wickets in IPL 2025 before taking 28 wickets in 2026 to finish just one wicket behind the Purple Cap winner.
Despite his performances, Bhuvneshwar admitted that he is not expecting an Indian comeback.
“I am not playing to prove anything but I would like to play for India again,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar revealed that he initially expected to get another opportunity after his last performance in India. After waiting a few series and finally realizing that a return was unlikely, he resigned himself to the situation.
“For a few series,” he said when asked if he expected to return to the Indian side after the New Zealand tour. “Because they called me. From what they said, I felt maybe two more series. But then I realized that’s not what they said.”
“It wasn’t hurtful because then I knew what was going on and accepted it. It wasn’t easy, but the family played a big role,” he added.
Bhuvneshwar also revealed that he sensed as early as the 2022 T20 World Cup that his time in the Indian team might be coming to an end.
After India’s semi-final defeat by England in Adelaide, he returned to his room and told his wife Nupur that he believed he had played his last World Cup.
“It happened in Adelaide. I came to my room and told my wife. I told it from my experience. Everyone was disappointed in the dressing room. There were a few slips before we left. But when I went back to my room, I told Nupur that this is my last World Cup. Because what I’ve seen from my experience, when you lose a tournament like this, the selectors want to look ahead and that’s fair,” he said.
Four years after his last appearance for India, Bhuvneshwar is therefore no longer waiting for a phone call. His recent IPL performances may have brought his name back into the conversation, but the veteran seamer insists playing for India again would be a bonus rather than something he is chasing.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
15 Sep 2026 16:10 IST