India Recall Bhuvneshwar Kumar for New Zealand T20Is

India have recalled Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand later this month, bringing the experienced medium-pacer back into the national set-up for the first time since November 2022. Varun Chakravarthy has also returned after recovering from a side strain, while legspinner Ravi Bishnoi has not been selected for the tour.

Bhuvneshwar’s recall follows a strong IPL 2026 campaign in which he took 28 wickets in 16 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru during their successful title defence. He finished as the competition’s second-highest wicket-taker, one wicket behind Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada, and took four wickets across the knockout matches against Gujarat Titans.

The five-match series gives India an established pace option with considerable T20I experience. Bhuvneshwar has played 87 T20 internationals for India, taking 90 wickets at an average of 23.10 and an economy rate of 6.96. His previous India appearance was a T20I in New Zealand in November 2022.

Bhuvneshwar rewarded after IPL 2026 campaign

The 36-year-old had also taken 17 wickets in the 2025 IPL season before improving that return to 28 in 2026. Four of those wickets came in the knockout phase, with two each in Qualifier 1 and the final against Gujarat Titans.

Bhuvneshwar is the only player to have won the Purple Cap in two consecutive seasons. His selection for the New Zealand trip follows his prominent role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign and restores him to an India T20I squad after a lengthy absence.

If he plays during the series, Bhuvneshwar would become the third-oldest specialist bowler to represent India in a men’s international. Ashish Nehra played his final India match at 38 years and 186 days, while Shute Banerjee made his only Test at 37 years and 124 days.

Chakravarthy returns after injury absence

Chakravarthy is back after missing the one-off game against Japan and the Asian Games because of a side strain suffered during the T20I series against Afghanistan in September. He had only recently returned from a hamstring injury during the home T20I series against Afghanistan before sustaining the side strain in the opening match.

Bishnoi, who is part of India’s squad for the ongoing home T20Is against West Indies, is absent from the group selected for New Zealand. The rest of the touring squad remains unchanged from the one facing West Indies.

Hardik Pandya was unavailable after suffering a fresh shin injury in late September, an issue that also ruled him out of India A’s one-day matches against Australia A. Harshit Rana also remains unavailable after an injury picked up during rehabilitation in early September.

India squad for New Zealand series

Shreyas Iyer will captain the side. The squad also includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav.

Bhuvneshwar and Chakravarthy are the two additions to the group from the West Indies series, with Bishnoi making way. The New Zealand T20Is will provide India with a five-match series in which the recalled bowlers can resume their roles after injury-related absences and selection changes.