Published on: Oct 16, 2026 5:30 pm IST|Updated on: Oct 16, 2026 5:30 pm IST
In a major development ahead of the series-deciding fifth T20I against the West Indies in Bengaluru, veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been drafted to the squad as a late inclusion. The 36-year-old swing magician was added to the squad for the final T20I following a shoulder injury to left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh during the fourth match in Hyderabad.
With the five-match series already locked at 2-2, the selection committee acted swiftly to bring in Bhuvneshwar as a cover for the winner-takes-all clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which also happens to be Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s home turf for the last two years in the IPL. The right-arm swing bowler has been representing the 2-time IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the past two years.
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5th T20I Updated Squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
They say someone’s loss is another’s gain, and something similar has happened with the veteran seam bowler. The decision to add Bhuvneshwar came after Arshdeep Singh suffered a painful blow to his bowling shoulder while batting late in India’s run-chase during the fourth T20I. Facing a fiery short delivery from West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph, Arshdeep was struck on the shoulder and required immediate medical attention on the field.
Although the 27-year-old continued batting for a brief period but eventually had to return to the dugout with severe pain. Indian skipper. Shreyas Iyer took the decision to retire the pacer, as he didn’t want his premier bowler to aggravate his shoulder injury further.
As of now, Arshdeep is under the team’s medical supervision, but his availability for the final game is in serious doubt. This must have prompted the selectors to rush Bhuvneshwar Kumar back into the squad.
Bhuvneshwar’s sudden call-up for the Bengaluru T20I will serve as a lead-up to his full-fledged India comeback. The veteran seamer was already named in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, set to begin on October 22 in Christchurch.
The recall marks the end of a nearly four-year absence of the 36-year-old from international cricket. Interestingly, his last appearance in India colors also came against New Zealand on 22nd November 2022 in a T20I at McLean Park in Napier.
His return to the national fold has been built on exceptional, sustained consistency in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bhuvneshwar enjoyed stellar campaigns across 2025 and 2026, capturing a total of 45 wickets. His 2026 IPL season was particularly impressive, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 28 scalps while playing a pivotal role in RCB’s title-winning run. His tally of 45 wickets is the best by any RCB bowler in the past two years.
Having played the last two IPL seasons for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bhuvneshwar does know what areas to bowl at both with the new ball and in the death overs. His invaluable tactical insights into the surface, along with his masterful skill set, will surely help him.
His ability to extract early swing and control the movement under lights makes him a special weapon. His vast experience and the calmness he possesses in pressure situations will offer Sheryas Iyer a trusted yet lethal weapon with the ball if Arshdeep is ultimately ruled out of the playing XI.