India bowling coach Morne Morkel has told Bhuvneshwar Kumar to block out the noise and simply play his own game, after the veteran pacer’s expensive return to T20 Internationals against New Zealand left India trailing the five-match series 0-2.

Morkel made the comments on the eve of the third T20I in Wellington. The match carries real weight for India, who have lost the first two games and now face a steep climb to keep the series alive.

The numbers behind the struggle

Bhuvneshwar has had a hard time since coming back into India’s T20I set-up. He conceded 49 and 50 runs in the first two matches against New Zealand, returning an economy rate of 12.37. He picked up just one wicket.

That return makes him the poorest performer among India’s bowlers so far in the series. For a player with his reputation, that is a difficult headline to carry into a must-win fixture.

It is also a sharp contrast with his recent form in the Indian Premier League. Bhuvneshwar, known for his ability to generate swing and seam movement, played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back IPL titles. He took 17 wickets in the 2025 season and 28 in 2026.

Those numbers are why fans have been so eager to see him back in the national side. The question now is whether the domestic success can translate to international cricket after a long gap.

Four years away from the T20I side

Bhuvneshwar’s return comes after a four-year absence from India’s T20I side. Morkel was clear that the wait has raised the stakes around him.

“I’ve got a lot of sympathy for his return. There will be expectations after four years to come back. He has done exceptionally well in the IPL and bowled really well,” Morkel said.

The coach acknowledged that the pressure is not just about performance. It is also about the weight of expectations that build up when a player returns after such a long break.

“Don’t chase anything. Just be you.”

That was the message Morkel said he had given Bhuvneshwar from the moment the pacer joined the squad. It is a simple instruction, but one that carries real meaning for a bowler trying to rebuild his rhythm in full view of the cricket world.

Limited preparation, bigger margins

Morkel pointed to the preparation issue as a key factor. He said Bhuvneshwar trained for a month leading into selection, but the schedule left him with limited training to get fully ready.

The coach was candid about the gap between domestic and international cricket. “Playing international cricket is a different beast where the margins are small,” Morkel said. In a format where a few runs in an over can shift a match, that gap becomes very visible very quickly.

Morkel framed the challenge in two parts. The first was blocking out the expectation factor. The second was adapting to the demands of international cricket after limited preparation time. Both, he suggested, take time to work through.

Why the coach is backing him to recover

Despite the rough start, Morkel was firm in his support. He said the skill and experience are all there, and that the team has to respect the nature of the game and give the veteran room to adjust.

“The skill and his experience, everything is there. But at the end of the day, we have to respect the game of cricket, and you have to allow him to find his feet in some of the games,” Morkel said.

He also suggested that more game time is the way forward. Morkel said that with each match Bhuvneshwar should get better and find his rhythm, and that the outside noise should be set aside.

“Yes, there will be expectations. But every game you’ll get better and every game you’ll find your rhythm. So let’s not think about any outside noise. Just be you and connect with that,” Morkel added.

What comes next for India and Bhuvneshwar

India now have to respond quickly. Trailing 0-2 in a five-match series leaves little room for error, and the third T20I will be closely watched for how the bowling unit performs.

For Bhuvneshwar, the coming match is another chance to show that the swing and seam movement that made him a fixture of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title runs can work on the international stage. His position in the side will be judged by what he does on the field, not by the reputation he brings from the IPL.

Cricket fans across India and beyond are asking the same question. Can the veteran pacer make a sensational comeback to the national squad, or will the early struggles define his return? Morkel’s position is that it is too early to judge. The coach believes the answer will come with more matches, more rhythm and less noise.