- Aakash Chopra, Ajinkya Rahane offer contrasting views on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback Aakash Chopra questions Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s T20I comeback after the pacer was dropped from the fourth match against New Zealand, citing poor performances and a concerning pattern.
- Aakash Chopra and Ajinkya Rahane offer contrasting views on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback.
- (Source:SonyLIV) At Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, October 30, India made a significant change to their bowling attack for the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
Aakash Chopra, Ajinkya Rahane offer contrasting views on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback Aakash Chopra questions Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s T20I comeback after the pacer was dropped from the fourth match against New Zealand, citing poor performances and a concerning pattern.
Aakash Chopra and Ajinkya Rahane offer contrasting views on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback. (Source:SonyLIV) At Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, October 30, India made a significant change to their bowling attack for the fourth T20I against New Zealand. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who returned to international cricket after a four-year absence, was dropped from the playing eleven and replaced by Mayank Yadav.
The decision came after the veteran pacer took just one wicket in the first three games, conceding 139 runs at an economy rate of 11.58. Bhuvneshwar’s domestic form has been impressive. He was signed for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2026 season for ₹10.75 crore and became the franchise’s leading wicket-taker with 28 wickets in 16 matches.
However, his return to the international stage has not repeated these achievements. Mayank Yadav, his replacement, took three wickets in the fourth game despite conceding 48 runs in four overs as New Zealand posted 259 for seven runs. Analyzing the situation, Aakash Chopra suggested that the Indian leadership had actually signaled the end of Bhuvneshwar’s comeback attempt.
Chopra noted that while Prasidh Krishna was unavailable due to injury, Bhuvneshwar’s own selection had become questionable given his recent form. “Prasidh Krishna was not included in the ODI squad as he is injured. But it’s not like Bhuvi has been included in the one-day squad.
He played three games and gave away so many points that questions are being asked about his return. Amid all this, he had to step down, which only raises more questions about his comeback,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. What Chopra said about the management’s stance, Chopra went further in his assessment and suggested that the Indian management had effectively signaled the end of Bhuvneshwar’s comeback attempt by eliminating him from the fourth game.
The analyst believes the move reflects greater frustration at the coach’s inability to deliver on his promises at international level after his long absence. “It almost seems as if the Indian leadership is saying we have had enough. So this comeback isn’t going the way the Indian fans had hoped.
“It seems like there is a bit of a pause here in terms of his return,” Chopra said. Ajinkya Rahane, the former Indian batsman, offered a contrasting perspective on Bhuvneshwar’s situation. Rather than taking the decline as a definitive statement, Rahane cautioned against making hasty judgments and stressed the importance of being patient with an experienced player when returning to international cricket.
He pointed out that ups and downs are a given in every bowler’s career. “I don’t think we should judge him or think too much about how he played. He is an experienced player and would definitely think about where he failed and what he could have done better.
Ups and downs are the order of the day in his performance. Sometimes as a bowler you may not find your rhythm but that is no reason to rule it out. Bhuvneshwar Kumar would definitely know what he could have done better,” said Rahane.
Rahane himself emphasized the importance of Bhuvneshwar’s return and considered it an inspiring story regardless of the immediate results. He emphasized that the leader’s experience and self-confidence would guide his path forward and that a strong performance could completely change the narrative. “For me the biggest story is that he made his comeback at this age.
What we should learn from this is that as a bowler you should never give up. Keep doing your job and things will work themselves out eventually. You never know; He could take five wickets in the next game and things could change in an instant.
Bhuvneshwar is a bowler that certainly reflects his game, but he is also confident in his abilities and is an overall confident person,” said Rahane.
