The 36-year-old fast bowler returned to India’s T20I squad for the five-match tour of New Zealand that began on October 22, following impressive performances in IPL 2026 where he was retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹10.75 crores and emerged as the franchise’s leading wicket-taker with 28 wickets in 16 matches. However, his comeback campaign against New Zealand proved disappointing, and he failed to live up to expectations during the series.
Mohammad Kaif has now weighed in on Bhuvneshwar Kumar‘s struggles, offering a sympathetic view of the seamer’s return to international cricket after a prolonged absence.
“If you ask me, I have a little sympathy for him because the man is returning after four years,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Why does Kaif have sympathy for Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback?
Kaif elaborated on the pressures and challenges that Bhuvneshwar Kumar faced during his comeback. The former batter stressed that the seamer’s struggles were not unique and that other bowlers in the series had also faced similar difficulties against the New Zealand batsmen.
“After a very long time, he stepped out in Indian colors; he was nervous, I can understand… It wasn’t just Bhuvneshwar Kumar who got hit, everyone is getting hit,” Kaif explained.
Kaif advocated for patience and a longer evaluation period before making any final judgement on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s international future. The former batter emphasised that a single poor performance should not be the basis for dropping an experienced player from the squad, and highlighted the seamer’s proven track record and statistics as reasons to give him additional opportunities.
“My view is that you should observe Bhuvneshwar Kumar for one or two more series and then make a decision, then move forward,” Kaif said.
How should international cricket handle returning players?
Kaif stressed the importance of stability and composure in international cricket when handling returning players. The former batter drew a contrast between club-level decision-making and the approach required at the international stage, emphasising that hasty judgements based on a single match should not dictate squad selections.
“You can’t judge someone from one match, that he got hit so he is a useless player, bring someone else, he got hit so remove him and bring this one — this used to happen in clubs!” Kaif said.
“When I used to play in Allahabad, I saw that our coaches used to panic so quickly… ‘Oh, he got hit, he’s a useless player, bring him in!’ That happens at the club level. At the international level, you have to move forward with more stability and composure,” he added.
