India, Oct. 7 -- Ajit Agarkar took over as the BCCI chief selector in July 2023. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had played his last game for India about seven months earlier, at the 2022 T20 World Cup. He had hoped for a return, for that was what he had been told, but selection committees usually have a tendency to look forward after every ICC tournament cycle. Bhuvneshwar realised it around the time of Agarkar's arrival.

"It wasn't hurtful, because then I knew what was happening, and I made peace with it," he said in a recent chat with Jatin Sapru on his YouTube channel.

Cricket was still a dream to live for the veteran India pacer, and he continued to notch up consistent numbers in the IPL. Since 2023, he has picked up 56 wickets in the tournament...