Virender Sehwag Tells BCCI Selectors To Consider 36-Year-Old Pacer Amid Superb IPL 2026: "Think About Comeback"

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of the revelations of IPL 2026. At the age of 36, Bhuvneshwar appears to have found his mojo again, with 17 wickets in just nine games. Such has been his form that legendary India cricketer Virender Sehwag suggested that the BCCI selection committee could consider him again for India's T20I squad. Sehwag stated that age should not be a factor, and urged the selectors to look at the possibility of reuniting Bhuvneshwar and Jasprit Bumrah in India colours.

"I sometimes think that age is just a number. So what if he is 35-36 years old? If he is producing big performances, he should think about his comeback in the T20 format or the selectors should think about it," Sehwag said, speaking on Cricbuzz.

"Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar used to have a combination, can they make that combination again? He is bowling well with both the new and old ball," he added.

"We are noticing the old Bhuvneshwar again. The sharpness in his bowling was evident," he further said.

Bhuvneshwar has taken at least three wickets in four of RCB's last five matches in IPL 2026, soaring to the top of the Purple Cap (most wickets) leaderboard. He took a total of 17 wickets in RCB's title-winning year in IPL 2025, but has already matched that tally in just nine games in 2026.

He also became the first Indian pacer and second Indian overall to reach the 350-wicket mark in T20s on Thursday.

In 325 T20 matches, Bhuvneshwar has taken 352 wickets at an average of 24.51, with five four-fors and five five-wicket hauls to his name, with best figures of 5/4. Only spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (391 wickets in 337 matches) has more T20 wickets by an Indian than him.

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru India Cricket Team Virender Sehwag Bhuvneshwar Kumar Cricket IPL 2026