India, Oct. 7 -- There was a discussion brewing all summer. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 28-wicket haul in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's second straight IPL title-winning campaign, and his near-miss for the Purple Cap, was bound to fuel a conversation that had remained at a nascent stage over the last few years. The selectors perhaps ended up receiving as many calls for Bhuvneshwar as they did over Rohit Sharma's ODI future. And yet, it came as quite a surprise when the veteran fast bowler returned to the India fold after four years.

Consistency was Bhuvneshwar's biggest strength in the white-ball format after he fell out of reckoning for a place in the Indian team. Since his last appearance for India in November 2022, he has picked up 72 wickets...