Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalled to India after Ajit Agarkar’s exit

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been recalled to the Indian cricket team in 2026, a return to the national colours reported on October 6, 2026. Observers and the piece tie his recall to the departure of Ajit Agarkar from the selection panel and question whether that change cleared the path for his comeback.

Kumar, 36, was dropped by Chetan Sharma’s selection committee in 2022, a decision the article links to a perceived loss of his swing and pace at that time. The report underlines that Kumar’s hallmark has long been his ability to swing the white cherry and that critics had written him off after a run of poor form. The narrative stresses that skills like late outswing and sudden in-cutters defined his bowling and could not be replicated overnight.

The story places Kumar within Meerut’s swinging-bowler lineage, noting the city’s connection to Sanspareils and Greenlands (SG) and invoking Praveen Kumar’s remark, "Meerut ke hawaa mein hi baat kuch hai." The article describes his signature ball as "lahrati huyi gaaend" and credits that wobble-and-swing style with much of his threat to batters.

Kumar’s return to prominence is tied to his recent Indian Premier League output: 45 wickets across two successful IPL seasons (2025 and 2026) for RCB. The piece states that while teammates such as Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya did heavy lifting for the franchise, it was Kumar’s incisive spells that anchored RCB’s campaign.

The article revisits Kumar’s difficulties in 2022, citing the World T20 semi-final in Adelaide where he was hit by Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, and reports that his pace and swing were considered to have dropped. It adds that his subsequent tour to New Zealand saw him look further dishevelled, prompting views at the time that his international career might have been over as newer, faster bowlers emerged.

On selection dynamics, the piece states that Ajit Agarkar became chairman of selectors with a philosophy of looking to the future, and that not all panel members agreed on Kumar’s prospects. It names Rudra Pratap Singh as a dissenting voice who had previously shared the new ball with Kumar and notes Singh hailed from Rae Bareli; the article says RP did not find much support while Agarkar remained in place but that "once he was gone, things eased out, and the much deserving return happened."

The report also emphasises Kumar’s temperament and preparation: it describes him as quiet, hardworking and free of public recriminations, noting he continued to play white-ball cricket for UP and acted as a guiding presence for younger bowlers. It adds that IPL duty for RCB became his platform to rebuild form, summarising the piece’s view that "Bhuvneshwar the doer was just doing his job. And now he has swung it big time."

An ex-India player and BCCI official joked about the wider selection implications, saying, "If Bhuvneshwar has arrived, Can Mohammed Shami be far behind?"