Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra feels like a roadblock has come in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s international career. Kumar played his last International match for India in 2022, which was a T20I fixture against New Zealand. Kumar has been troubled with injury woes in the recent past and thus hasn’t been in the reckoning for national selection.
The swing bowler was also not included in the World Cup squad and has not been picked in any of the three squads for the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “I and you won’t decide his career because we are not the selectors, and who are we to say whether it’s over or a long career is left? It’s not looking good in the current scenario. It seems like a roadblock has come.”
Kumar scalped 16 wickets in seven matches of the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2023 while playing for Uttar Pradesh but he still didn’t make the cut for South Africa T20Is.
“You are not getting opportunities. You had a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and a decent IPL as well but you are not getting picked anywhere. It was decided long back that they won’t pick him in ODIs but now they are not picking him for T20Is also.”
The renowned commentator added that the selectors have started looking in other directions as they are giving opportunities to young pacers like Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar.
“So it seems like the selectors have started looking in other directions and there are options. It is actually a praiseworthy thing about Indian cricket that you always have so many options available that you say you can go with someone else.”
Chopra added that gun fast bowler Umran Malik is also not getting his chances because of the plethora of pacers available for selection.
“So Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Deepak Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and then you forget Umran Malik, whom you played matches four months ago. So this is the reality of Indian cricket. So for Bhuvi, you get the drift.”
India will now tour South Africa for three T20Is, as many ODIs, and two Test matches.
