Bhuvneshwar Kumar Receives Stern Message From Coach After Tough Comeback: ‘You’ve To Be…’

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has made a difficult return to India’s T20I side after four years away and bowling coach Morne Morkel wants him to shut out the noise and trust his own game.

In the first two matches against New Zealand, Bhuvneshwar conceded 49 and 50 runs, took one wicket and went at 12.37 an over. He has been the poorest among India's bowlers so far.

India lead the five-match series 2-0. That has sharpened the focus on Bhuvneshwar’s comeback and his struggle to settle back into international cricket. Morkel’s message is simple. He wants the experienced seamer to "block out expectations" and get back to being himself as India look for a response in the third T20I.

Morkel Backs Return

Morkel backed the veteran. "I've got a lot of sympathy for his return. There will be expectations after four years to come back. He has done exceptionally well in the IPL and bowled really well," Morkel said on the eve of the third T20I.

He then explained why the return has not been smooth. "One challenge is to block the expectation factor out. Two, leading into selection, he trained for a month, but playing international cricket is a different beast where the margins are small. He had to come in with limited training because of the schedule to get himself ready."

Morkel still expects him to improve with more matches. "The skill and his experience, everything is there. But at the end of the day, we have to respect the game of cricket and you have to be able to allow him to just find his feet in some of the games."

Focus On Himself

That message has been constant. "And for me, that has been the message from the start when he joined the squad, don't chase anything. Just be you."

Morkel also urged him to ignore outside pressure as he works his way back. "Yes, there will be expectations. But every game you'll get better and every game you'll find your rhythm. So let's not think about any outside noises. Just be you and connect with that," the South African added.

Bhuvneshwar is known for generating swing and seam movement. India are banking on those skills returning as the series moves deeper and the pressure builds.

His recent IPL record explains that backing. Bhuvneshwar played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back IPL titles. He took 17 wickets in the 2025 season and followed that with 28 wickets in 2026.

Those returns helped earn his recall to India’s T20I side. But his first two games back have been tough, leaving India to hope his experience starts to show quickly as they try to recover from a 0-2 deficit.