New Delhi, May 12 (IANS)Veteran India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dismissed talks around a potential national team comeback despite enjoying a stellar IPL 2026 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), saying he no longer sets long-term goals after learning from past disappointments.

The 36-year-old swing bowler, who has picked up 21 wickets this season and has been one of the standout performers for RCB, said external conversations around an India return do not occupy his mind anymore.

“I don’t think about India’s comeback. It’s been many years that I’ve stopped setting long-term goals. Because whenever I’ve done that, it never worked for me,” Bhuvneshwar said in a video released by RCB on X.

With several former cricketers and experts recently advocating for his return to the Indian setup following his consistent performances in the IPL, Bhuvneshwar maintained that he is content with where he stands in his career.

“I’m happy that there are 200 matches, there are so many wickets, there’s powerplay, there’s death. I think it’s all reward for what I’ve done over the years. There have been good years and bad years,” he said.

“Honestly, at this point of time, I don’t feel anything special. Of course, I’m lying if I say that it won’t happen in the future once I stop playing. I think these are all memories that will come in handy later. But at this point of time, I think it’s very normal for me,” he added.

Reflecting on his long cricketing journey, Bhuvneshwar recalled making his first U-15 appearance for Uttar Pradesh at the age of 22 and credited his natural ability to swing the ball as the foundation of his success.

“I think it was a natural swing. It was God-gifted. The basics are still the same — ball swing, smooth action, express pace, bounce. T20 cricket may have changed demands, but the art of fast bowling remains unchanged,” he said.

Known more for skill and control rather than raw pace, Bhuvneshwar admitted that not being an express fast bowler eventually worked in his favour.

“I’ve never been an express bowler, so I never got tired. I wasn’t in a hurry because I didn’t bowl fast. Not being express was a blessing in disguise for me,” he explained.

Bhuvneshwar also opened up on his tactical approach across different phases of a T20 innings, highlighting the importance of simplicity and execution.

“In the powerplay, I’m a swing bowler, and if the ball is moving, I go for wickets. Middle overs are completely different because the batters have a different mindset. At death, it is about confidence and execution. But no matter what phase it is, keep things simple, that’s always been my mantra,” he said.

The pacer further revealed that not getting opportunity in international cricket has allowed him to manage his workload better, as he has time to recover.

“Ever since I’ve stopped playing for the country, the best thing is that I get a lot of breaks after IPL. I play enough cricket to stay in touch, and I also get enough time to do other things,” he signed off.

–IANS

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