Goa, Oct. 31 -- Bhuvneshwar Kumar's highly anticipated return to the Indian T20I setup has run into turbulent waters. After earning a recall on the back of impressive performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, the veteran swing bowler has struggled to replicate that form on the international stage.

In the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, Kumar found himself under intense pressure. Pitch conditions and aggressive batting lines have offered him little leeway; he managed just three wickets across his outings while consistently leaking over 10 runs per over.

The struggle culminated in the fourth T20I, where the team management opted to bench Kumar in favor of young speedster Mayank Yadav. Yadav made a...