Bhuvneshwar, who played a crucial role in RCB’S back-to-back IPL title victories in 2025 and 2026, earned a recall for the T20I series against New Zealand.
Wellington: Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has backed veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar following his return to the national team after a four-year absence. Morkel revealed he advised the 36-year-old to "not chase anything and just be himself," urging critics and fans to allow the bowler time to settle back into international cricket.
Bhuvneshwar, who played a crucial role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) title victories in 2025 and 2026, earned a recall for the T20I series against New Zealand. Despite a stellar IPL 2026 season where he finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 28 wickets in 16 matches, the swing bowler had a tough start, returning figures of 0/49 and 1/50 in his first two games back.
Addressing the media regarding the pacer's comeback and the intense expectations surrounding him, Morkel highlighted the tight turnaround and limited training time Bhuvneshwar had ahead of the series.
"I have got a lot of sympathy for his return. You know, the reason why I say that is that there will be expectations after 4 years to come out. He has done exceptionally well in the IPL; he has bowled really well. One is to block the expectation factor out. Leading into, you know, his selection. I mean, there was a month of cricket where, yes, he trained, but this is a different beast coming and playing international cricket where the margins are small. So he had to come in with limited training because of the schedule, get himself ready," Morkel explained.
He emphasised that Bhuvneshwar needs game time to rediscover his rhythm at the highest level.
"So the skill and, you know, his experience, everything is there, but at the end of the day, you know, you have to respect the game of cricket, and you have to be able to allow him to just find his feet in some of the games. And for me, that has been the message from the start when he joined the squad: you know, do not chase anything, just be you."
"You know, yes, there will be expectations, but let us just— every game you will get better and every game you will find your rhythm. So let's not think about any outside noises. Just be you and connect with that," he added.
Tactical shift: Prince Yadav over Mayank Yadav
Morkel also addressed the team management's decision to play Prince Yadav instead of Mayank Yadav in the second T20I. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler turned in a disciplined performance of 1/30 in his four overs.
The bowling coach clarified that Mayank's omission was not form-related, but a strategic move tailored to ground dimensions, potential dew, and death-bowling execution.
"That was just purely a tactical sort of change we felt was needed at that venue. It is no secret that Prince, at the death, he is bowling his yorkers, is somebody that executes that quite well, and it was sort of just felt that if we had to bowl second and the ball is wet and, you know, taking into consideration the dimensions of the field, we wanted a guy with a high percentage of nailing the yorkers," Morkel noted.
He reiterated confidence in Mayank, who posted figures of 1/40 in the series opener, noting that brief breaks can help young fast bowlers grow tactically.
"I felt Mayank bowled really well in that game, you know, in that first game. So it is definitely not because of performance. But again, Mayank, for me, I think it is sometimes good for a young boy like that to play a game, give him a little bit of time to reflect, understand bowling, because he is still raw and he still needs to understand a lot in terms of how to read and how to set up an over. So I think for a young boy, that is not a bad thing. And then Prince, obviously, you know, he can bowl for us again in all phases of the game, and his execution is just slightly higher," he concluded.
Player performance overview
| Player | IPL 2026 Context | T20I Series Performance | Key Takeaway |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Joint 2nd highest wicket-taker (28 wickets, 16 matches); IPL title winner with RCB | 0/49 & 1/50 in initial matches | Backed by management to regain rhythm over time |
| Prince Yadav | Selected for tactical death-bowling execution | 1/30 (4 overs) in 2nd T20I | High yorker execution rate under wet/dew conditions |
| Mayank Yadav | Emerging raw talent | 1/40 (4 overs) in 1st T20I | Rested tactically to analyze match strategy and over setup |
(ANI)
Published: 26 Oct 2026, 12:17 pm IST
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