Overview
- On Sunday, August 2, Bhuvneshwar Kumar told the RCB Podcast that he has accepted life outside the India team and is playing franchise and domestic cricket for the love of the game.
- The 36-year-old last played for India in 2022 and has framed another call-up as welcome but not a driving aim for the rest of his career.
- Bhuvneshwar’s IPL 2026 form — 28 wickets in 16 matches and the tournament’s second-highest tally — has kept his name in public and selector conversations.
- Former players including Ravichandran Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik and Kris Srikkanth have urged selectors to consider him for 2027, but selection remains uncertain because India are developing younger pacers and IPL form does not guarantee ODI selection.
- He credits his family for helping him find peace, manages workload with domestic leagues such as the UP T20 League, and places his resurgence in the context of the IPL and past leadership choices that strengthened India’s pace pool.