New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) Former Indian left-arm spinner Murali Kartik on Monday welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s recall to the national T20I side, saying age should never be a barrier to selection as long as a player is good enough and not a liability on the field.
Bhuvneshwar initially earned a recall for India’s five-match T20I series in New Zealand starting on October 22. But he was then drafted into the rained-out fifth T20I against the West Indies in Bengaluru – first as a cover for Arshdeep Singh, before replacing Mayank Yadav in the playing eleven. Bhuvneshwar had played a key role in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru achieving consecutive IPL wins in 2025 and 2026.
“100 percent. I am so happy that he has made his comeback. I have never been a huge believer (in age being a criterion for selection). If somebody is good, he should be picked. Somebody is 40, and he is good; as long as he can move and he is not a liability on the field, he should be picked. I have got no issues with that. I have never had. I have always maintained this belief in my life,” Kartik told reporters in a select virtual interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on Monday.
“Someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he has showcased it throughout his life. He has been a quiet and exceptional performer. He is not somebody who is beating his chest and saying, ‘ Notice me’. He has never done that. Even this year too, in that cauldron called IPL, which is a tough gig for any bowler, he literally was simply the best or, in fact, one of the best in all conditions across all phases.
“I suppose there is a huge case for him, and there was a national clamour, so to speak, that Bhuvneshwar should be picked primarily based on those performances. So, I am very happy that he is back and so should be for anyone else,” he added.
Kartik, however, cautioned that the comeback would put Bhuvneshwar under intense scrutiny, and that the outcome could shape how selectors view older players for future assignments.
“I don’t know if you want to use the word litmus. But anyone who is on this side of 30 and making a comeback, it is not going to be easy. The spotlight is always going to be on you. If you do well, people will say, he has continued his form. If he doesn’t do well, then people are going to say, we always knew he was on this side.
“All those things are part of it. From a Bhuvneshwar Kumar point of view, I don’t think he is going to be looking at it that way. It is a new lease of life. Anybody who comes to play this game wants to play it for the right reason, and that is to play for the country at any stage at any age. So I am pretty sure that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is taking it that way.
“But yes, the pressure is on him because if he doesn’t do well, if it doesn’t go well for him, then obviously, it is like how you are looked at. Say, imagine a 36- or 37-year-old does well. If there is a reason to bring another 36- or 37-year-old at some other stage, people might use this as an example and say, look, he did well, so he can also do well.
But if somebody doesn’t do well, then there are always going to be doubts about bringing that guy as well. So I hope it goes well for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But it is definitely going to be a stern test. I don’t know whether it is a litmus test,” he elaborated.
On wrist spinner Varun Chakaravarthy’s return, after a side strain led to him being ruled out after the first T20I against Afghanistan in New Delhi last month, Kartik said fitness would be the key.
“You just hope that Varun Chakaravarthy stays fit because he is also on the other side of 30 and he is not known for his exceptional fitness. So, he is basically a one-dimensional cricketer who has done exceedingly well with what he has got. That is exactly what Varun Chakravarthy is.
“That is an argument which you can use for other people as well. Someone like Kuldeep Yadav. How is it that Varun Chakaravarthy is solely a bowler? He is not a gazelle on the field, nor is he a Shai Hope with the bat. So, he is seen as a superb bowler because he has won. How is it that the same yardsticks are not used for someone else? So, I hope that really all goes well for India,” he said.
He also expected spinners to play a big role in the T20Is in New Zealand despite the small grounds. “If he is fit, as I said again, in New Zealand, the grounds are small. But not so small that the spinners cannot operate. Most importantly, in T20 cricket, we have seen that it is the spinners who have got the better economy. So, spinners have a huge role.
“Also, most importantly, the format always demands that you are always thinking on your feet. You are light on your feet. You are thinking as the ball or game evolves. So, I suppose spinners have a huge role. So will the pacers. Again, you will not necessarily get good wickets during the T20s. You don’t want extremely seaming wickets during the T20 games. It will be interesting to see how our spinners go because you have got some good ones.”
Kartik also backed all-rounder Naman Dhir, who smashed an unbeaten 24 off six balls in the abandoned series decider against the West Indies in Bengaluru, to make a strong case for himself, especially after his handy off-spin fetched him five scalps.
“When you look at what he has done, I think he is a good cricketer to have. He is a very handy three-dimensional cricketer to have. He might not give you four overs every time in a T20, but he will give you handy overs. As we have seen, he has picked up wickets and, more importantly, he has shown some heart, and that is the most important thing, especially in the T20 format,” he said.
“Even when you get hit, he has shown some heart, and he is a quality hitter, down the order. I think he can finish and win games for you. I am pretty sure, at the end of the day, as and when you are presented opportunities, if you take them with both hands, you make an extremely strong case for yourself not to be dropped,” he added.
On teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has had to wait for his chance to play, Kartik said the youngster’s time would come. “Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a precocious talent. For him, he is just waiting in the wings because of two openers out there and a number three who has done exceptionally well and can also double up as an opener if need be.
“You have got the top two batters in T20Is right now going around, and you have got a right-left combination. So, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get his chance because he is an exciting talent. He has a wonderful future ahead. So, it’s just a question of biding your time sometimes.”
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–IANS
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