'If he is 35-36 years old, so what?': Sehwag calls for Bhuvneshwar’s return to India setup

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Virender Sehwag has heaped praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, urging BCCI's selectors to bring back the “swing king” into the international setup.

In his most recent match against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 30, 2026, Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a masterclass for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), finishing with figures of 3/28. During this spell, he reached a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian fast bowler to claim 350 T20 wickets. Following his 3-wicket haul, Bhuvneshwar reclaimed the top spot in the Purple Cap race, bringing his season total to 17 wickets in 9 matches. He has recorded five three-wicket hauls in the 2026 season alone, including back-to-back performances against Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans. Earlier this season, he became the first fast bowler in IPL history to cross the 200-wicket mark.

Despite being a consistently reliable performer in the IPL, Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not receive the recognition he deserved after falling out of the Indian setup in 2022. However, he has since rebuilt his reputation, playing a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign in his debut season with the franchise in IPL 2025, he carried that momentum into IPL 2026. He currently leads the Purple Cap race an impressive economy rate of 7.54, particularly at a time when even top bowlers are struggling to keep it under 10.

Virender Sehwag recently heaped praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, calling him “Vintage Bhuvi” for his sharp performances this season. Sehwag highlighted how the experienced pacer continues to evolve and remain effective with the ball, even at a stage when many bowlers are struggling to control games.

The praise came after Bhuvneshwar’s impressive outing against the Gujarat Titans, where he nearly turned the game in his team’s favour while defending a modest total of 156. Leading the attack, he returned figures of 3 for 28, dismissing key top-order batters including Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler.

“Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to be the best bowler in this lot. He has made 2-3 outs in the match, even today he has made 3 outs and has made the match for RCB. Sometimes I think, what is his age? If he is 35-36 years old, so what? If he is producing big performances, he should think about his comeback in the T20 format or the selectors should think about it. Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar used to have a combination, can they make that combination again? He bowls well with both new and old balls,” Sehwag said.

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“I enjoyed watching Bhuvneshwar Kumar's old game today. I could see the sharpness in his game. He is playing against the top batters. It's not like he is playing well against one or two good teams; he is playing against all the strong teams. I enjoyed watching him play, you can call Bhuvneshwar Kumar a vintage. You never know,” added Sehwag while speaking on Cricbuzz.