Veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to the international arena in the first T20I of the five-game series against New Zealand. However, he looked a bit rusty on the field and bowled no-balls.
Speaking during a discussion on Cricbuzz, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach Dinesh Karthik delved into the details of Bhuvneshwar’s comeback, stating that he might be a little nervous. Notably, the seamer returned with the figures of 0/49 in four overs.
Further, Karthik felt that the no-balls proved costly for the bowler, noting that the seamer rarely oversteps and may have been affected by nerves. He also urged fans to be patient with the bowler, considering it was his first international appearance after returning to the side since 2022.
“It was the no-balls that did him in. He’s not somebody who generally bowls no-balls. I am not sure why, but it may have been a bit of nerves,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“Two no-balls in a game is unheard of for him. So I would put it down to the fact that he’s not as ready as he would want to be. But if we look closely, his first and last overs were very good. However, the second and third overs had no-balls in it and that reflects in his analysis, as those were huge overs,” he added.
However, Karthik stressed that Bhuvneshwar Kumar must ensure the no-balls do not become a recurring issue, adding that the bowler is capable of performing much better than he did in the first T20I.
“A lot of fans may be critical, but it’s his first day back in international cricket. So cut him some slack. But he has to be aware that no-balls are not a habit he wants to develop. He knows he’s better than that. But was he as good as he could be? Definitely not,” he concluded.
