Bhuvneshwar Kumar has raised eyebrows regarding his cricketing future by making a subtle change to his Instagram bio. In New Zealand, during a T20I match in November of the preceding year, the 33-year-old Indian seamer had his last appearance for India.
Since then, he was left out of the squad for the home series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Moreover, Bhuvneshwar was not part of the Indian team for the three ODIs against Australia.
While he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in all 14 games of the IPL, the Indian pacer has been absent from the cricketing scene ever since. Interestingly, there have been no reports of any injuries to Bhuvneshwar, making his absence even more perplexing.
Since IPL 2023, he hasn’t been involved in any competitive matches, and he has refrained from participating in domestic cricket as well. Recently, sharp-eyed Twitter users noticed that Bhuvneshwar has removed the term ‘Cricketer’ from his bio on Instagram.
Previously identified as ‘Indian cricketer,’ his bio now simply states ‘Indian,’ fueling speculation about whether this iconic swing bowler has played his last match for India.
The recent photograph of Bhuvneshwar posing with Rinku Singh has added a twist to the narrative. The two Indian cricketers were pictured together in front of the Indian tri-colour inside a training room.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s deletion of ‘cricketer’ from his Instagram bio causes a Twitter frenzy
Is this is the end of Bhuvneshwar kumar's career in international cricket? 👀🤔
Feeling sad for him 🥺☹️💔💔#WIvsIND pic.twitter.com/pIVsuI4l4U
— Ekansh Sharma (@Ekansh_Sharma21) July 27, 2023
Bhuvneshwar Kumar changed his bio from Indian cricketer🇮🇳 to Indian🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/XLKIdcFKO3
— Gaurav Agarwal (@7Gaurav8) July 27, 2023
Yaar Bhuvi!!!!! 😔 We hope atleast me, You will Make a strong comeback🤞. A lot of cricket left in you To play for INDIA. #BhuvneshwarKumar #Bhuvi pic.twitter.com/kB1AXPnQeK
— Devanshu Maheshwari (@beingdevanshu19) July 28, 2023
However, his Twitter bio, which still identifies him as an ‘Indian cricketer,’ provides some reassurance to his fans. Looking back at Bhuvneshwar’s performances in 2022, his omission from the team becomes even more mysterious.
He was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament, claiming 11 scalps and securing the only five-wicket-haul, including a career-best of 5/4.
Despite a somewhat lackluster showing in the T20 World Cup, he finished the year as India’s most successful bowler with 37 T20I wickets.
Notably, Bhuvneshwar is no longer involved in Tests and has been sidelined from ODIs, last playing an ODI in January 2022. Nevertheless, at 33 years old, he may still have a lot to offer in T20Is.
Throughout his illustrious 10-year-long career, Bhuvneshwar stands as the second most successful bowler for India in T20Is, claiming 90 wickets in 87 matches, just behind Yuzvendra Chahal with 91 wickets.
He holds the record for the most maidens bowled for India in T20Is (10) and is the only Indian bowler to achieve two five-wicket-hauls in this format.
Additionally, Bhuvneshwar boasts an impressive average of 23.10 and has bowled the most overs for India in T20Is, amounting to 298.
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