India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer said veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will bring a lot of experience to the squad for the T20I series against New Zealand. Iyer admitted they have been lacking experience in the bowling line-up, and Kumar will definitely fill that void.
Kumar was added to the squad after an impressive run in IPL 2026 for RCB. The veteran seamer bagged 28 wickets in 16 matches of IPL 2026 and played an instrumental role in taking Royal Challengers Bengaluru to glory. The swing master has performed consistently in the recent past and also scalped 14 wickets in 11 matches while leading Lucknow Falcons in UP T20 League 2026.
“Bhuvi brings a lot of experience to the side. We were lacking that a bit, especially after the IPL. We had a lot of new bowlers. But if you see his T20 career graph over the last 4 years, he has won the IPL twice, and has a good idea about how to dominate this format,” Shreyas Iyer said during the pre-series press conference ahead of the first T20I (via RevSportz).
The Indian skipper admitted that having too many backup options is a good headache to have for the team.
“So many backups, right? In a way, that is good, and it motivates the current team members to perform consistently for the team. Most importantly, we have to win the match, that is the eventual goal. I want to say that it is a sweet headache, but such a headache is important for every team,” Shreyas Iyer added.
The first T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday.
