Correspondent, 18 October: Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar achieved a unique milestone merely by being named in the playing XI, despite not bowling a single delivery as the fifth T20 International between India and the West Indies was washed out by rain. The match took place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. By making his return to the lineup, he became the first Indian player to make a comeback after missing the highest number of T20 matches.
Returning to the squad after a four-year gap, Kumar's hopes were dashed by the persistent weather. India had been sent in to bat first after losing the toss. The contest was initially reduced to nine overs per side due to early showers, but it was ultimately abandoned when rain returned after 7.4 overs. As a result, the five-match series concluded in a 2-2 draw.
Even with the match officially abandoned, Kumar secured his name in the record books. He stepped onto the field after missing 106 consecutive T20 fixtures between his previous appearance and this match, spanning from November 2022 to October 2026. This broke the previous mark held by Khaleel Ahmed, who made his return after missing 104 T20 matches from November 2019 to July 2024.
Kumar now tops the list of Indian players missing the most matches between two T20 appearances. Following Khaleel Ahmed in the rankings are Varun Chakaravarthy, who missed 86 matches between November 2021 and October 2024; Sanju Samson, with 73 missed games between July 2015 and January 2020; and Shivam Dube, who sat out 70 matches from February 2020 to August 2023.
With the West Indies series concluded, the Indian squad will next face New Zealand in a five-match T20 series starting October 22. Kumar has been included in the squad for this upcoming tour. All eyes will be on his performance, as the playing conditions in New Zealand are highly favorable for his signature swing bowling.
