Bhuvneshwar Kumar said he "did not chase" a comeback to the India side and credited his performances in the IPL as the reason he was able to break a spell on the sidelines that began in November 2022.
Speaking after the victory over New Zealand in the third T20I in Wellington, Bhuvneshwar said: "To tell you the truth, I did not chase [an India comeback]. Yes, it is a dream. I am not saying that I am not happy. I am very happy. To play for India, to represent India, it is a matter of pride.
"So, I am feeling very proud that I made a comeback. But the truth is that I did not chase it. For four years, whatever was coming in front of me - tournaments, challenges, whatever - about cricket, about fitness, whatever else, I kept doing it. I never thought that I would want to play cricket for [only an India] comeback.
"So I think that made things very easy. Luckily, the performance happened. I think all the credit goes to my [last] two years of IPL. Because of that, [an India comeback] is happening."
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Bhuvneshwar, 36, was a key part of the Royal Challenges Bengaluru side that became back-to-back IPL champions. He picked up 17 wickets in 2025 and 28 wickets in 2026. India banked on that experience when they knew they wouldn't have Jasprit Bumrah or Hardik Pandya available for the white-ball leg of the tour.
Returning to the top-flight hasn't been easy though. Bhuvneshwar has been expensive in batter-friendly conditions. In three matches against New Zealand, he has taken one wicket at an economy rate of 11.58 and an average of 139.00.
Earlier in the series, when asked about these numbers, India bowling coach Morne Morkel said: "Look, I've got a lot of sympathy for his return. The reason why I say that is, one, there will be expectation after four years to come out. He's done exceptionally well in the IPL. He's bowled really well. Two, leading into 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 to get himself ready."
With the series sealed, India will now head to Auckland for the fourth T20I on October 30, then Hamilton to close out the series on November 1.