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Cricket PlayersBhuvneshwar Kumar returns for India, skills intact and body more robust
Strengthening his physique to deliver IPL-winning spells has helped earn an India recall after four years for the NZ T20I series
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Four years ago, Bhuvneshwar Kumar walked off the field in Napier after what would turn out to be his last T20I for India.
Since then, India witnessed three leadership changes and at least two selection-committee overhauls, and it looked like his India career was over.
But at 36, after years on the fringes and increasingly being spoken about in the past tense, Bhuvneshwar is back and heading to New Zealand again after being selected for the T20I series. This time, though, he arrives with the skills intact but a much stronger body to back them up.
Deep Dive
Recurring injuries, particularly in the back and lower body, had made fitness as much a talking point as his swing, seam and control. His comeback, after his potent bowling that he showed during the last two Indian Premier League seasons for back-to-back champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru suggested that work with his personal strength and conditioning coach Surya Yadav were producing special results on the field.
He continued to mention and credit that work after each standout performance, finishing IPL 2026 with 28 wickets in 16 matches, just one behind Kagiso Rabada in the Purple Cap race. It produced one of the finest campaigns of his career. Not only was he effective with the new ball, he controlled the middle overs and remained a threat at the death.
At his age, most people give up hope of an India comeback, but his resurgence is partly due to the IPL season, a dearth of Indian bowling reserves due to injuries and inexperience, and him unlocking a new strength through improved fitness.
During his time away, Bhuvneshwar often spoke about the work behind the scenes being put in to become stronger and better equipped to withstand the demands of bowling. Last month, in a podcast with broadcaster Jatin Sapru, he credited the work behind-the-scenes again.
“I told him that to survive at this level, we had to give the body new shocks,” conditioning coach Surya told HT during IPL 2026. “We had to increase the load, activate the fast-twitch fibres and create more power.”
Gradually, his squat numbers climbed from around 60kg to beyond 110kg, while his power clean improved from around 40kg to 80kg. Compound movements became a bigger part of his training, with a clear focus on improving force generation rather than simply adding muscle.
Surya recognised that Bhuvneshwar’s body had also become acclimatised to a more aerobic style of conditioning and longer duration exercises, so the need for different stimuli, such as heavier loads, greater force production and more explosive work. This became an important component of his workouts.
Bhuvneshwar never really built his career around raw pace, and movement, precision, control and an ability to read the batter were his primary weapons. The idea was to make those more sustainable.
There was a technical correction too. Years of bowling and back problems had altered Bhuvneshwar's alignment, with his chest opening up slightly through his action, which affected his ability to generate outswing consistently. The changes were subtle but they helped restore the foundations of Bhuvneshwar's ability to move the ball effectively.
“His chest started opening up a little and the swing reduced,” Surya had explained. “We worked on closing it back down again through back exercises and by repeatedly training the same movement pattern.”
The result was impressive. Along with Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvi led RCB’s pace attack with world-class precision, especially in the Powerplay. Whether it was his 3/5 against Delhi Capitals at the Ferozeshah Kotla or his 4/23 against Mumbai Indians in Raipur, he showed that even in this day and age, thinking bowlers who set up batters and can find some movement are remain a prized asset.
With Jasprit Bumrah not part of the T20I squad in New Zealand, skipper Shreyas Iyer and coach Gautam Gambhir will likely be keen to see whether Bhuvneshwar can provide some assurance amid an experimental pace group. Prasidh Krishna is injured and Mohammed Siraj has been in and out of favour, while Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary and Mukesh Kumar are still in the experimental phase.
With an eye on the ODI World Cup in South Africa late next year, adding experience to the mix is what makes his selection particularly exciting. Now that Bhuvneshwar has earned another chance, it appears he has the body to make the most of it.
