Reports reveal why Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not picked for the England tour

Last Friday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 20-member squad of Team India for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and five-match series against England. While the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari and Jasprit Bumrah made a comeback, some big names missed to make a cut.

The one name that arguably made the headlines was of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvi recently made his return to India’s white-ball squad during a home series against England and impressed everyone with his performance.

The right-armer last played a red-ball fixture for India in 2018, and since then, he has been facing injury issues. After successfully returning to India’s limited-overs squad against England, Bhuvneshwar also appeared in some games for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Still, the apex Indian board didn’t consider him for the England tour.

Now, according to the latest reports, it is revealed that the selectors had not picked Bhuvi as they were uncertain concerning the pacer’s fitness for the longest format, especially on a big tour of England.

“The selectors think that he is still not fit to play long format, especially on such a long tour,” a source told IANS.

The selection committee was of the opinion that the current Indian side has plenty of variety in the pace department, and that’s why choosing Bhuvneshwar didn’t look like a necessity.

At present, the Indian squad comprises of experienced lads like Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami. Along with the veterans, the Virat Kohli-led team also have some young and aspiring talent like Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur, who have impressed quite a few with their recent performances.

Speaking about Bhuvneshwar, the 31-year-old made his Test debut for India in 2013 and has only managed to play 21 Tests. He has taken 63 wickets at an average of 26.09.

The Meerut-born has picked up a five-wicket haul four times while he has bagged a 4-fer in the red-ball format thrice.