"Expected Something New?" Team India Questioned Over Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Return For 5th T20I

India suffered a shocking seven-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I of the five-match series on Sunday at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Asked to bat first, India posted 191/8 in 20 overs, with Ishan Kishan and skipper Shreyas Iyer scoring 61 and 50 respectively. In reply, the Kiwis were powered by opener Tim Seifert, who smashed 93 off just 50 balls to help the hosts chase down the target with two overs to spare. Despite the loss, India clinched the series 3-2.

The T20I series against New Zealand turned out to be a forgettable outing for veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had returned to the national side after four years. However, the comeback did not go as planned, as he managed just one wicket while conceding 180 runs in the four matches he played.

Former India batter Ajay Jadeja questioned India's decision of benching Bhuvneshwar in the fourth game and then bringing him back for the fifth T20I. However, he also pointed out that his numbers were not significantly different from those of the other Indian bowlers, as most of them also leaked runs throughout the series.

"I think it was interesting. It was a high-scoring series. You left him out after three matches and brought him back in the fifth. Did you expect to see something new? If someone has played for India for 12-15 years, he did what we have seen. If you see just the numbers, you will feel he was lacking," he said on SonyLiv.

"However, if you put the numbers of the other four with him, you will feel there is no difference. Even if you go deeper into the numbers, I feel average. Bhuvneshwar Kumar showed the experience you were expecting from him. He did his job, but it wasn't an exceptional series. It was neither very good nor very bad," he added.

Jadeja further stated that Team India is missing the services of Jasprit Bumrah badly, describing him as an irreplaceable player.

"Bumrah is a special bowler. In whichever unit he plays, if he is not there, it's a massive void. There is no replacement for him. No one can compensate for him. He will always be missed. There is no doubt about that, but India will have to get used to playing without Bumrah," he said.

Featured Video Of The Day

India Ends CWG Boxing Campaign With Record-Breaking Seven Gold Medals