Stories
Can Mohammed Shami Follow Bhuvneshwar Kumar Back to the Indian Cricket Team?
- •Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned a surprise recall to the Indian T20 squad for the New Zealand series after a four-year absence, fueled by stellar IPL performances.
- •Bhuvneshwar claimed 45 wickets across the 2025 and 2026 IPL seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, showcasing exceptional skills in the powerplay and death overs.
- •While Mohammed Shami struggled in recent IPL seasons with 18 wickets from 22 matches, he has been in tremendous form in domestic cricket.
- •Shami took 37 wickets in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy for Bengal and started the 2026-27 season strongly by helping East Zone win the Duleep Trophy.
- •Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Shami himself remain motivated and optimistic about a potential international comeback for the veteran pacer.
Key Questions Answered
Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned his India T20I comeback after grabbing 45 wickets across the 2025 and 2026 IPL seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His success was built on exceptional performance in the toughest phases, taking 25 wickets in the power play and 18 wickets in the death overs.
Mohammed Shami excelled in domestic cricket after recovering from a long injury lay-off, taking 37 wickets in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy to help Bengal reach the semifinals. He also claimed 15 scalps in the Vijay Hazare matches, 16 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and seven wickets to win the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy with East Zone.
Beyond his bowling figures, Bhuvneshwar serves as a crucial mentor to young RCB fast bowlers like Rasikh Salam, Suyansh Sharma, Mangesh Yadav, and Abhinandan Singh. He helps them read conditions, plan against batters, handle pressure, and back their own strengths.
