Former Indian middle-order batter and commentator Hanuma Vihari has requested the Indian team management, headed by Gautam Gambhir, to bring back veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar into the ODI side.
Notably, Vihari’s comments came right after India’s five-wicket defeat to the West Indies in the third and final ODI in New Chandigarh. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the discarded Indian batter reckoned that the veteran pacer is still among India’s best bowlers.
“I think they have to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar back. In my opinion, he is still one of the best bowlers in the country. He is proving in the IPL. He will do it. You need that calmness and he brings that. Indian selectors, management, coach, captain all need to think about it,” Vihari said on his YouTube channel.
Further, Vihari asserted that the Indian team shouldn’t always rely on Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, adding that they must have experienced bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to get the job done in tough situations.
“You need to find the right bowling combination. You cannot depend on Bumrah and Hardik. You have to have backup in case of such injuries. I will say go with experience. Get Bhuvneshwar and Shami back. You will have some security with experience. When you need a breakthrough, you can go to them and they will do the job for you. You need stability and experience will always count,” he added.
Bhuvneshwar played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifting two consecutive IPL trophies in 2025 and 2026. Across two seasons, the veteran speedster picked up 45 wickets in 30 matches at an average of 21.87 and an economy rate of 8.56.
