Former New Zealand captain and pacer Tim Southee believes India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 36, rightly deserves this recall to the national team following his impressive performance for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026.
Bhuvneshwar, who last played an international match in 2022, has been picked in the Shreyas Iyer-led India squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, beginning in Christchurch on October 22.
Tim Southee
“He [Bhuvneshwar] will be thrilled to have another opportunity to play for India. He probably didn’t think it was going to happen, but on the back of his performances in the IPL, he has certainly deserved this opportunity. He’s done everything he possibly could to earn another call-up,” Southee said during a select media interaction organised by Sony Sports Network on Thursday.
Bhuvneshwar has claimed 90 wickets in 87 T20Is and played a crucial role in RCB’s 2026 IPL title triumph, finishing with 28 wickets.
“He’s a very skilful and experienced bowler. He’ll be able to enjoy his time in the Indian jersey, and who knows how long that will last? He has experience on his side and has enjoyed success at the international level. He’s still bowling extremely well in the best franchise competition in the world, the IPL, so there’s no reason why he can’t have a lot of success when he returns to international cricket,” said Southee, who has taken 776 international wickets across three formats.
India will play five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests during their tour of New Zealand. Southee identified pacer Mohammed Siraj as the one to watch in the upcoming series. “Looking at India’s bowling attack, someone I really enjoy watching is Mohammed Siraj. The energy he brings, the way he runs all day and the type of bowler he is, there’s no reason why he can’t have a lot of success in New Zealand conditions,” Southee added.