International cricket has always rewarded consistency, but a handful of Indian players have shown that persistence beyond a long absence can also earn a recall.
Several cricketers have returned to the national side after gaps of multiple years, driven by strong domestic or franchise performances.
The most recent example arrived on October 6, 2026, when the BCCI named Bhuvneshwar Kumar in India’s 16-man T20I squad for the tour of New Zealand. His inclusion renewed attention on players who had to wait years before getting another opportunity at the highest level.
As Indian fans celebrate the comeback of one of the best swing bowlers the country has ever produced, let’s take a look at five players who were out of the Indian setup for quite some time before getting recalled.
5 Indian players who made comebacks after prolonged absence
5. Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra staged an international comeback for India when he was 37 years old. Before his comeback, the left-arm seamer was in a five-year exile. He made a comeback on the back of stellar performances in the Indian Premier League, notably with Chennai Super Kings. He played the 2016 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in the same year before hanging his boots on November 1, 2017.
4. Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik made his debut at the age of 19. He struggled to cement his place in the Indian team and was constantly in and out from 2014 to 2010. The wicketkeeper-batter had to wait for eight years to earn a recall to the Test side, which came in 2018. He featured in the one-off Test match against Afghanistan and also toured England, only to be dropped again after registering a golden duck in the Lord’s Test. When it comes to T20I cricket, Karthik had a maximum gap of seven years between two appearances.
3. Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan was dropped from the Indian team in early 2009 after a loss of form and injury struggles. He had to battle hard for an international comeback, and it took him almost two and a half years to get back into the setup In the 2011-12 domestic season, he finished as the highest wicket-taker for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy and that helped him return to the side.
2. Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singhsilently battled the symptoms of a rare germ-cell cancer located between his lungs during the 2011 ODI World Cup. He fought with bravery and helped India clinch the title after 28 years. Yuvraj was named Player of the Tournament for his all-round contributions. However, he underwent diagnosis after the tournament, and his treatment started. On September 11, 2012, the all-rounder made his international comeback against New Zealand and scored 34 off 26 balls. It is one of the most inspiring comeback stories in cricket history.
1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was sidelined from the Indian team after the disappointing campaign in the 2022 T20 World Cup. He did feature in the tour of New Zealand later in the year but was eventually dropped. Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj performed well alongside Jasprit Bumrah and it seemed that the road was ending for Bhuvneshwar. However, he worked tremendously on his fitness and craft and produced some memorable performances in the Indian Premier League. In IPL 2026, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 28 scalps from 16 matches at an economy rate of under 8. He will look to play a key role for India against the Kiwis and make his comeback a memorable one.