‘I never chased this India jersey for four years’: Bhuvneshwar Kumar credits IPL for India’s comeback

Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar believes that focusing on his work without expecting too much from himself has helped him cope with a four-year absence from international cricket. The veteran bowler returned to the national team earlier this month as a replacement for the injured Arshdeep Singh in the fifth T20I against West Indies, but rain washed out the match. He finally returned to action in the first T20I against New Zealand.In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Bhuvneshwar explained that focusing on the present instead of worrying about a comeback has helped him grow as a player and as a person.“The main space I’m in is very simple. I don’t have any expectations of myself. I think that’s how things have been for me for the last 3-4 years. No expectations; just keep working. We generally talk about the present; we don’t think about the future. I think that’s the main space I’m in right now. And that’s happened in the last 3-4 years,” he said.Bhuvneshwar said the years away from international cricket taught him patience and maturity. Instead of constantly searching for a place in the Indian team, he focused on improving his game through IPL and domestic cricket.“Four years, I never chased this India jersey. So honestly, I didn’t even know when the four years would come. I think it’s evolved a lot and I think the IPL plays a big part in that.”Despite having no clear expectations for his future, the 36-year-old continued to work on his fitness, skills and mental preparation. He also expressed surprise at winning two IPL titles in two years.

Adapting to modern T20 cricket

Bhuvneshwar acknowledged that T20 cricket has changed a lot, with batsmen attacking from the first ball and scores of 200 becoming more common. However, he believes that bowlers can still control the game with smart strategies and by batting where they want.He also pointed out that overseas tours, particularly to the SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia), pose challenges as the conditions often offer limited help to the bowlers. According to him, success in these conditions requires maturity, careful planning and teamwork.Reflecting on India’s opening win against New Zealand, Bhuvneshwar said a strong start could boost the confidence of the entire team and help the team perform better during the tour as well as in other formats.