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Cricket PlayersBhuvneshwar Kumar turns off Ravichandran Ashwin’s ODI recall initiative: 'I've already played for India'
The 36-year-old doesn’t play cricket anymore with an eye on a return to the Indian team. It’s the love for the game that keeps him going.
Former India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar appears to have come to terms with the fact that he is not going to play for the country again. It’s not a recent thing; it probably happened long ago. Recently, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin put forth the suggestion that Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has had a last couple of fantastic IPL seasons with back-to-back champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, should be spoken to in regard to his participation in next year’s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
However, on an RCB podcast on Sunday in which Bhuvi addressed many issues, some of his answers gave a peek into his current mindset. One giveaway was that despite his IPL successes in 2025 and 2026, he is not looking to prove anything to anyone. And that in the last few years, he has played cricket just for the love of it. There is no real comeback ambition in his continuing.
"I'm playing the IPL and domestic cricket because I love the game. When you're young and playing for India, you say you love the game. But honestly, things like 'control the controllable', 'don't overthink', or 'playing for the passion of the game' -- I can actually feel those things now.
“I've already played for India. That's not something I have to achieve now. If I get another opportunity, that's great, but I've been there. Everything I'm doing now is because of my love for the game. I know I have to stay disciplined,” the 36-year-old said.
Bhuvi, known for his swinging capabilities with the ball, has not played for India since November 2022. Over a long career, the right-arm pacer changed for the better. For example, he became quicker. He learned to bowl effective yorkers, learned to bowl cutters. That learning and improvement has been the reason that he is still relevant, particularly in the IPL.
Though at the fag end of his international career, he had fizzed out a bit, and that led to his exclusion from India's white-ball teams. As far as Test cricket is concerned, his last match was in 2018. Bhuvi adds more weight to the points he made earlier. “I play domestic cricket, I play the UP T20 League. I make sure I play enough cricket to stay in touch, while also giving myself enough breaks to recover and stay refreshed.
“I am absolutely at peace, and I give credit to my family. At home, we never talk about cricket. We never talk about whether I'll get back into the Indian team, why I wasn't selected, or what went wrong.
“That played a big role, and there is no regret… I understand that transitions are a part of sport. I understand that generations change. I'm not the first player to experience this, and I certainly won't be the last. That is part of the game. Family plays a big role. I am happy being where I am,” he said.
