Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioned Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s selection after India suffered a seven-wicket loss in the fifth T20I against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton on Sunday.
Pathan believes the selectors made a mistake by playing Kumar in the T20I series against the Kiwis as the commencement of T20 World Cup 2028 is far away.
Kumar was added to India’s T20I squad after he scalped 28 wickets in 16 matches of IPL 2026 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and played a key role in the franchise’s success. But, the veteran seamer didn’t have a great return to Indian colors as he scalped one wicket at an average of 180 in four games and conceded his runs at an economy rate of 11.25.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “In my opinion, where did the selectors go wrong? They made a mistake by playing Bhuvneshwar Kumar in this series. Look, there is no doubt that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a good bowler and a senior player. However, playing him here, when the T20 World Cup is not anywhere near, was questionable. If you were preparing Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the 50-over World Cup, which is near, that would have made sense.
Pathan said India could have tried a young fast bowler in place of Bhuvneshwar and he would have gained experience at the top level.
“But by including him in this series, you missed out on giving young fast bowlers an opportunity. One young fast bowler could have played in his place and gained valuable experience. Mayank could have played all the matches and gained that opportunity, while Prince Yadav could also have played all the matches. You have missed out on a valuable opportunity for your fast bowlers to gain good experience on New Zealand soil,” he added.
India will next take on New Zealand in a five-match ODI series.
