Bhuvneshwar Kumar could make his return to international cricket sooner than expected, with the veteran pacer added to India’s squad for the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The 36-year-old’s inclusion comes after left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday. While Arshdeep has not been ruled out of the series decider, a final decision on his availability for the playing XI will be taken closer to the match.
The five-match series is currently level at 2-2, with the final encounter set to be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Arshdeep sustained the injury while batting in the final over of the fourth T20I, when India needed 35 runs from six balls with only one wicket remaining.
West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph, who had conceded 37 runs in his first two overs, returned to bowl the final over. Arshdeep edged the first delivery for four before Joseph bowled a wide while attempting a yorker. The West Indies pacer then switched to short deliveries, with Arshdeep missing a pull shot before being struck on the shoulder while attempting the same stroke again.
The Indian team physio attended to Arshdeep, who resumed batting after a brief interruption. However, as the pain persisted, the left-arm pacer retired hurt with India needing 25 runs from the final three deliveries. He walked off to avoid aggravating the injury to his bowling arm as the West Indies secured a series-levelling victory.
Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion gives India an experienced pace option ahead of the series decider. The veteran bowler had already been named in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, which begins later this month.
Bhuvneshwar last represented India in November 2022. His inclusion for Saturday’s match could therefore pave the way for his first international appearance in nearly four years, provided he features in the playing XI.
India’s updated T20I squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
