India’s veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalled how he told his wife, Nupur, that 2022 T20 World Cup could be his last match in India colors. India suffered an ignominious 10-wicket loss in the semifinal clash against England, with Kumar returning with expensive figures of 0-25 in two overs he bowled.

England was able to chase down the target of 169 with four overs to spare. Kumar admitted his exclusion was on the cards when they suffered a huge loss like that, as selectors were going to look at young players for the future.

“After the Adelaide game in 2022, after coming back to the dressing room, I told Nupur. I told it out of my experience after being at a certain stage and losing like that in the tournament. I told her I think this will be my last World Cup. Because I have seen before that when you lose a tournament like that, selectors look at the future, and that is fair enough. I said it to her, keeping all that in mind,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar said in a podcast with Jatin Sapru.

Kumar was eventually dropped from the squad after the series against New Zealand in 2022, and he said he was expecting a call back from the selectors, which wasn’t to be the case.

“Till a few series, I thought I could get a callback. I had gotten a call, and based on what they said, I thought it would happen after a series or two. But then I realised it was not what they said. I am emotional, but I am not at the same time. I don’t go and look at the India jersey and feel emotional. I take things very normally. After a few series, you know what is happening, and you make peace with it. It was not at all easy, I am not saying that.”

Kumar scalped 28 wickets in 16 matches of IPL 2026 and played a key role in RCB’s success.