‘This comeback is thoroughly deserved’: Raina welcomes Bhuvi’s India return

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Former India batter Suresh Raina has welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the Indian T20I squad, calling the veteran pacer’s comeback a reward for his discipline, hard work and resilience.Bhuvneshwar, 36, is back in the India setup nearly four years after his last international appearance.

His India career had been on hold since the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide.

The seamer earned his recall after producing a string of consistent performances in the IPL, with Raina describing his return to the national side as thoroughly deserved.

Suresh Raina's post for Bhuvneshwar Kumar

“Welcome back, Bhuvi! So happy to see one of India’s finest and most skilful bowlers getting his recognition again. The discipline, hard work and resilience he has shown over the years is truly inspiring.

From Uttar Pradesh to the IPL, and now back in the Indian T20 side, this comeback is thoroughly deserved. Keep inspiring, @BhuviOfficial. Your journey is a reminder that hard work always finds its way back,” Raina wrote in an X post.Bhuvneshwar has represented India in 229 matches across formats, taking 294 wickets at an average of 29.50. His tally includes seven five-wicket hauls.

His return comes ahead of India’s tour, which begins with a five-match T20I series from October 22.

The T20I leg will be followed by five ODIs and two Tests.Raina highlighted Bhuvneshwar’s journey from Uttar Pradesh through the IPL and back into the Indian team as an example of perseverance paying off.The veteran pacer will now have another opportunity to add to his India career after almost four years away from the international setup.India’s T20I Squad: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson [WK], Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.