Veteran Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is once again set to don Indian colours after earning a recall to the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, which begins on October 22. His return has touched off a wave of discussion, majorly due to the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027. Notably, Kumar has been on the sidelines since November 2022; however, he actively showed his brilliance in the IPL, playing a key role in RCB’s back-to-back title wins, which is what has earned him a recall.

One of the striking abilities Bhuvneshwar Kumar possesses is his ability to swing the new ball both ways. Meanwhile, former India batter Wasim Jaffer has welcomed Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion, calling the recall as a sensible move by the selectors.

"Better late than never. He deserves this. Nobody has done a favour by selecting him. His performances have been there, and his fitness has been good. I am clueless why he was dropped earlier," Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.

"He has always done well in the IPL and for Uttar Pradesh. So, what was the reason he was not getting picked? We should keep age aside. We have young players, but we should not neglect those who are performing well because you eventually need experience when there is pressure. You cannot play with an entirely young team. You need to have that mixture of experience and youth," he said.

Jaffer also raised questions regarding the limited opportunities being given to experienced players Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. 

"Shami should be picked, especially in the Test team. I don't know about the ODI team because we have tried many players like Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Reddy there, but I don't think the management still has that confidence. You are not giving Siraj game time consistently. I don't understand who your second and third seamers are. According to me, Shami should be in the ODI team, given that the World Cup is also very near. When you have that quality, you should play him. My first choice would be Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj, and I will think about rebuilding after the World Cup," he said.

"I would like to see Shami make a comeback in Tests. I have been looking forward to it for a long time. My focus will be on Shami and Auqib Nabi whenever the team is announced. If Shami is neglected here, I feel the door will be closed on him."