Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the senior India pacer, is under pressure to lose his place in the playing XI after a sharp fall in form against New Zealand. India have already won the T20 series 3-0, and that result has opened the door for experiments in the final two matches. The question now is whether the man who came back to the national side after nearly four years will still be trusted.

Bhuvi’s return was supposed to be a fairytale. He earned his way back with a strong IPL 2026 season, and the selectors recalled him to the national team after a long gap. Instead, the comeback has stalled. In the first three matches of the series, he picked up just one wicket and gave away 11.58 runs per over. For a bowler built on swing and control, those numbers are hard to ignore.

The criticism has now come from one of the most respected voices in Indian cricket. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin addressed the situation on his YouTube channel and did not sugarcoat what he saw.

"If you look at how Bhuvi has bowled, a spinner or Mayank Yadav could come in for him. If that happens, I won’t be surprised."

Ashwin’s point was not simply that Bhuvneshwar has failed. He also urged the team management to read the conditions before making a final call. The first two T20s were played at big grounds, where spinners have a better chance to make an impact. Ashwin pointed out that New Zealand’s spinners also failed to make much of a difference in the third match. That detail matters, because it suggests the pitches and venues may not be the full explanation for Indian bowling struggles.

The remaining two matches are expected to be played at smaller grounds. That changes the calculation. In a shorter boundary setup, the team may think twice about loading the attack with spinners, and that uncertainty is exactly what makes Bhuvneshwar’s position so fragile. Ashwin admitted he was not sure whether the think-tank would rely heavily on slow bowling in those games.

Mayank Yadav’s name is central to this debate. He played in the first T20, and his figures in that match were better than those of Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep Singh. But he was not kept in the side for the following games. Prince Yadav came in his place, and his performances in the last two matches have been mixed. That inconsistency has left the bowling options unsettled, and it has also given the selectors room to rethink the pace attack.

There is another twist. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy have not played a single match in this series. With the series already secured, both are realistic options for the final two T20s. If the team wants to test its bench, those two spinners could be the ones who get the chance, and that would leave Bhuvneshwar watching from the sidelines.

For the veteran, the next two matches are now decisive. His experience is his biggest asset, and his yorkers at the death have won him games before. If he can bring that control back and show he still owns the final overs, he has a real chance to hold on to his place. If he does not, the management may have little reason to resist the push for younger pacers.

The reality is harsh. A player who spent years away from the national team has been given a chance, and so far the numbers have not justified it. Whether this becomes a short dip or the beginning of the end of his comeback will depend on the next two T20s. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been counted out before and found a way back. This time, he will need to do it on the field, in front of selectors who are already looking at alternatives.