Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that Bhuvneshwar Kumar worked hard on his fitness as he is bowling well in the recent T20 matches against Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Notable that Bhuvneshwar Kumar went wicketless on the South Africa tour. He faced heavy criticism as many experts thought that his time is up in international cricket. But he bounced back strongly in the following T20 series. On Thursday he picked 2 wickets in 2 overs which included a wicket of Pathum Nissanka in the very first ball of the innings.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar is trying to get better with every passing day”- Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar said that the 32-year old presented his case strongly for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be held in Australia. On the hard and bouncy surfaces of Australia, pace bowlers will play a key role in India’s campaign and there will be a big competition to make it into the final squad.
“He is again making a point. Yes, he had a pretty ordinary series in South Africa. But he has come back well. Again, look at the competition, nobody can take his place for granted. He has been a senior bowler for such a long time, the moment he slipped a little bit and questions were asked about him, he has picked himself up,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
“He hasn’t gone into a shell, thinking ‘oh what is going to happen?’. He has worked harder, he has looked at his bowling and he is trying to get better with every passing day. And that’s what is important. He is not resting on his laurels. He is saying with the extra pace and the bounce that I will get in Australia, he will in the frame,” he added.
In the series against West Indies, India tried multiple options in the pace department as they gave a chance to the likes of Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, and Shardul Thakur. Jasprit Bumrah also made a comeback after a long time in the shortest format as he was rested after the South Africa tour.
The second and third T20I against Sri Lanka will be played in Dharamsala on Saturday and Sunday.
Also, read Ruturaj Gaikwad Ruled Out Of Sri Lanka T20Is, Mayank Agarwal Added To Indian Squad