Six hours a day, 19% to 14% body fat: Inside Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s quest for longevity at 36
Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns after 4 years as India announce T20 squad against New Zealand On 22 November 2022, Bhuvneshwar Kumar played his last match for India against New Zealand. Four years later, he returned to the Indian T20I squad against the same opposition.The withdrawal came earlier this week when the BCCI announced the Indian squad for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand. The name of the thirty-six-year-old player was one of the biggest topics in the sixteen-member squad.In between were four years without visiting India, a move from international regular to domestic leader and a fitness routine that, according to a man who worked closely with him, required hours every day.A few months before his return, he took 28 wickets in 16 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker for the season. His wickets averaged 17.89 and an economy rate of 7.95 as RCB won their second consecutive IPL title.After the IPL, Bhuvneshwar led the Lucknow Falcons in the UPT20 league to the final, taking 14 wickets in 11 matches at 16:57, with an economy rate of 6.82.
A job away from the cricket field
After RCB made it to the IPL final, TimesofIndia.com spoke to Bhuvneshwar’s personal strength and conditioning coach Surya Pratap Yadav about the changes behind the scenes.One of the biggest areas of concern was body composition. “Our primary goal was to reduce body fat while increasing muscle mass. As athletes age, muscle loss becomes a problem, so we worked heavily on strength training, protein intake, and supplementation.”“Bhuvneshwar’s body fat percentage has come down from 19% to 14% while he has maintained his weight, indicating an increase in muscle mass. His strength level has improved significantly and this has helped increase power production and run speed,” Surya Pratap told TimesofIndia.com in May this year.“Discipline is the biggest factor. He understands his body’s weaknesses and proactively works on them. We spend almost an hour every day on rehabilitation and injury prevention exercises. Along with that, we focus heavily on recovery, hydration, sleep, protein intake and supplements. All these factors help him stay fit throughout the season,” added Pratap.Then there’s the volume of work.“Much more than people realise, he spends 6-7 hours a day training. This includes gym sessions, rehabilitation work, recovery routines, batting, bowling and training in different environments. Although it is not always visible on social media, the amount of effort he puts in every day is tremendous,” said Surya Pratap Yadav.For a fast bowler in his early 30s, this workload has to be managed as carefully as the bowling itself. Bhuvneshwar’s response was to make it a routine part of his cricketing life rather than something reserved for a comeback attempt.
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From India an ordinary domestic worker
The years after his departure from India were not spent away from competitive cricket. Bhuvneshwar remained a key figure for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, leading the bowling attack in competitions including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Another constant remained the IPL.He had stopped associating his daily work with the expectation of a national appeal, but the toil continued. In a video released by RCB, Bhuvneshwar explained why he stopped setting long-term goals.“I’m not thinking about an India comeback. It’s been many years since I stopped keeping or giving long-term targets because whenever I did, it never worked for me. I’m happy to have played 200 matches and taken so many wickets in the overs and at the death. I think it’s all a reward for what I’ve done over the years.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar after his last performance in India
SeasonCompetitionMatchesWicketsAverageEconomyBest2023Vijay Hazare Trophy 111116.904.964/202023Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 7169.315.845/162023UP T20 League91415.365.813/112023-24Ranji Trophy 21313.532.838/412024IPL161148 459 352/122024UP T20 League11731. 856.282/222024-25Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy9114:00 p.m6.033/62025IPL141728.419.293/332025UP T20 League101417.006.704/122025-26Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 7819:257:00 a.m3/232026IPL162817.897.954/232026UP T20 League111416.576.824/10
A skill that keeps giving him a way back
Bhuvneshwar’s return for the NZ series also puts his bowling in a wider context. He has long been one of India’s most effective bowlers, especially when the new ball offers movement. His record overseas has included strong spells in England, West Indies, South Africa and other settings where the ability to move the ball in the air remains valuable.However, his returns for New Zealand were modest – he took 15 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 38.00. His numbers on the last trip to New Zealand: four wickets in five T20Is at an average of 40.00 and an economy rate of 8.42.But the significance of Bhuvneshwar’s comeback is not limited to single-series numbers. His swing with the new ball gives India another option, especially as the team looks at the conditions in New Zealand.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s T20I record across various countries
OpponentMatchesWicketsEconomyAverageBestAfghanistan151.000.805/4Australia997.7626.443/35Bangladesh218.0048.001/21England1096.8025.443/15Hong Kong115.0015.001/15 Ireland327.0939.001/16 Netherlands123.004.502/9New Zealand1198.0233.882/24Pakistan 7117.2617.184/26South Africa12146.6918:5024. 5Sri Lanka896.8320.114/22U.AE122.004.002/8West Indies18137.2535.152/12Zimbabwe335.3619.662/26The comeback has also attracted the attention of former India players. Suresh Raina called the selection “thoroughly deserved”, while Kris Srikkanth described it as a “fantastic move”. Virender Sehwag questioned whether age should be a deciding factor if a 35- or 36-year-old fast bowler still delivers match-winning performances. Mohammad Kaif also pointed out Bhuvneshwar’s ability to trouble batsmen with movement.