Former Indian ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hopes for a dream pairing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah at the 2027 ODI World Cup. Ashwin said that if Bhuvneshwar impresses all on his return to the T20I side after nearly four years, he could well be on that flight to Africa, bowling the first over for India. Social media began buzzing with nostalgia after the Pragyan Ojha-led selection committee picked up the 36-year-old seamer for five T20Is against New Zealand, starting October 22.&nbsp;South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will co-host the 50-over World Cup, which starts on October 2, 2027.&nbsp;“He is going to New Zealand now. I am telling you, if he does well, everyone will immediately say, just take him for the ODI team as well. The selectors will be watching very closely.&nbsp;“If he swings the ball and shows decent fitness, nobody can stop Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from sitting together on that flight to the World Cup, with Bhuvneshwar bowling the first ball of the World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bhuvneshwar-kumar-recalled-india-t20i-squad-new-zealand-jurel-captain-india-a-1791303593439">Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalled for New Zealand T20Is after 4 years; Dhruv Jurel to lead India ‘A’</a>&nbsp;Reflecting on Bhuvneshwar’s skillset and multi-format capability, Ashwin added that injuries alone hindered the Meerut pacer from reaching even greater heights for the national side.&nbsp;“I am very excited and happy for Bhuvneshwar Kumar because he is a very unassuming guy. And yes, I am once again putting my neck on the line to say this: if he had worked a little harder, if the timing had been right and if he had avoided those injuries, with the skill set he possesses, he could have been a king for India across all formats,” Ashwin said.&nbsp;“Do you want swing? He has swing. If you want it to move one way, he can do that. If you want it to move both ways, he can do that too. And then he has decent pace,” he added.<h3>India Squad for New Zealand T20Is –</h3>Shreyas Iyer (captain), 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, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav

R Ashwin believes a strong comeback in New Zealand could see Bhuvneshwar Kumar partner Jasprit Bumrah for India at the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Former Indian ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hopes for a dream pairing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah at the 2027 ODI World Cup. Ashwin said that if Bhuvneshwar impresses all on his return to the T20I side after nearly four years, he could well be on that flight to Africa, bowling the first over for India. Social media began buzzing with nostalgia after the Pragyan Ojha-led selection committee picked up the 36-year-old seamer for five T20Is against New Zealand, starting October 22. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will co-host the 50-over World Cup, which starts on October 2, 2027. “He is going to New Zealand now. I am telling you, if he does well, everyone will immediately say, just take him for the ODI team as well. The selectors will be watching very closely. “If he swings the ball and shows decent fitness, nobody can stop Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from sitting together on that flight to the World Cup, with Bhuvneshwar bowling the first ball of the World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Also read| Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalled for New Zealand T20Is after 4 years; Dhruv Jurel to lead India ‘A’ Reflecting on Bhuvneshwar’s skillset and multi-format capability, Ashwin added that injuries alone hindered the Meerut pacer from reaching even greater heights for the national side. “I am very excited and happy for Bhuvneshwar Kumar because he is a very unassuming guy. And yes, I am once again putting my neck on the line to say this: if he had worked a little harder, if the timing had been right and if he had avoided those injuries, with the skill set he possesses, he could have been a king for India across all formats,” Ashwin said. “Do you want swing? He has swing. If you want it to move one way, he can do that. If you want it to move both ways, he can do that too. And then he has decent pace,” he added. India Squad for New Zealand T20Is – Shreyas Iyer (captain), 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, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav

R Ashwin believes a strong comeback in New Zealand could see Bhuvneshwar Kumar partner Jasprit Bumrah for India at the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah in India’s World Cup plans? Ashwin weighs in

Former Indian batter and a World Cup winner Suresh Raina expressed delight over Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s surprise recall to India’s T20I side for the first time in nearly four years. Known for his unplayable swing upfront, Bhuvneshwar last featured in a T20I on the New Zealand tour in November 2022, and could be back in the playing XI in the five-match T20I series starting October 22. Raina and Bhuvneshwar were part of the triumphant 2013 Champions Trophy campaign in England and were teammates at Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.&nbsp;Since his white-ball debut against Pakistan during the 2012/13 series in India, Bhuvneshwar grew from an exciting prospect to India’s premier frontline quick for close to a decade. Taking to his X handle, Raina hailed Bhuvneshwar’s comeback to the Indian Team at 36.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bhuvneshwar-kumar-recalled-india-t20i-squad-new-zealand-jurel-captain-india-a-1791303593439">Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalled for New Zealand T20Is after 4 years; Dhruv Jurel to lead India ‘A’</a>&nbsp;“Welcome back, Bhuvi! 🇮🇳💙&nbsp;So happy to see one of India’s finest and most skilful bowlers getting his recognition again. The discipline, hard work and resilience he has shown over the years is truly inspiring.&nbsp;From Uttar Pradesh to the IPL, and now back in the Indian T20 side — this comeback is thoroughly deserved. 👏&nbsp;Keep inspiring,&nbsp;@BhuviOfficial, your journey is a reminder that hard work always finds its way back. 🙌��🇮🇳”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome back, Bhuvi! 🇮🇳💙

So happy to see one of India’s finest and most skillful bowlers getting his recognition again. The discipline, hard work and resilience he has shown over the years is truly inspiring.

From Uttar Pradesh to the IPL, and now back in the Indian T20 side — this comeback is thoroughly deserved. 👏

Keep inspiring, @BhuviOfficial Your journey is a reminder that hard work always finds its way back. 🙌🏽🇮🇳&mdash; Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) <a href="https://x.com/ImRaina/status/2107696432128172126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h3>Bhuvneshwar to lead India’s attack in Bumrah’s absence</h3>Bhuvneshwar’s return to the Indian side wasn’t merely to provide veteran experience with Jasprit Bumrah rested, but was always on the cards following his stellar run in IPL 2026.&nbsp;Representing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Bhuvneshwar returned with 28 wickets in the past edition and helped his team defend their IPL crown. Although he finished second among the highest wicket-takers in IPL 2026, the Meerut pacer has won two Purple Caps thus far – awarded to the season’s highest wicket-taker.<h3>India Squad for New Zealand T20Is –</h3>Shreyas Iyer (captain), 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, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav

Suresh Raina hailed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s "thoroughly deserved" recall to India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series after a stellar IPL 2026 campaign with RCB.

Former Indian batter and a World Cup winner Suresh Raina expressed delight over Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s surprise recall to India’s T20I side for the first time in nearly four years. Known for his unplayable swing upfront, Bhuvneshwar last featured in a T20I on the New Zealand tour in November 2022, and could be back in the playing XI in the five-match T20I series starting October 22. Raina and Bhuvneshwar were part of the triumphant 2013 Champions Trophy campaign in England and were teammates at Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. Since his white-ball debut against Pakistan during the 2012/13 series in India, Bhuvneshwar grew from an exciting prospect to India’s premier frontline quick for close to a decade. Taking to his X handle, Raina hailed Bhuvneshwar’s comeback to the Indian Team at 36. Also read| Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalled for New Zealand T20Is after 4 years; Dhruv Jurel to lead India ‘A’ “Welcome back, Bhuvi! 🇮🇳💙 So happy to see one of India’s finest and most skilful bowlers getting his recognition again. The discipline, hard work and resilience he has shown over the years is truly inspiring. From Uttar Pradesh to the IPL, and now back in the Indian T20 side — this comeback is thoroughly deserved. 👏 Keep inspiring, @BhuviOfficial, your journey is a reminder that hard work always finds its way back. 🙌��🇮🇳”

Suresh Raina hailed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s "thoroughly deserved" recall to India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series after a stellar IPL 2026 campaign with RCB.

‘From UP to IPL to India Side’: Suresh Raina hails Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s recall for NZ T20Is

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah in India’s World Cup plans? Ashwin weighs in

‘From UP to IPL to India Side’: Raina hails Bhuvneshwar’s recall for NZ T20Is