Imtiaz bases his optimism on Bhuvneshwar’s excellent showing in white-ball domestic tournaments and the one Ranji game this season
Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Pic/Shadab Khan
Mumbai-based Uttar Pradesh cricket team’s bowling coach Imtiaz Ahmed reckons pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 33, is in good rhythm and a top performance against Mumbai will bring him back in the reckoning for Team India.
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Bhuvneshwar, who played 21 Tests, 121 ODIs and 87 T20Is, last represented the country in a T20I against New Zealand at Napier in November 2022.
UP bowling coach Imtiaz Ahmed. Pic/Shadab Khan
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Bhuvneshwar is leading UP’s bowling attack against Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai team in the Elite Group ‘B’ Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium starting on Friday.
Bhuvneshwar, who played just one first-class game this season—against Bengal—has claimed eight wickets so far. Earlier, the veteran India pacer emerged UP’s top wicket-taker claiming 16 and 11 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy respectively.
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“If Bhuvi takes five-plus wickets against Mumbai, he may get an India call again. He bowled well in both white-ball domestic tournaments this season and is in good rhythm. He followed that up with a good show in red-ball cricket, so I feel the national selectors will think about him one more time.
“I don’t think there is any other bowler at the higher level who can beat him with regards to bowling in-swing and out-swing and his accuracy is at an ultimate level,” Imtiaz told mid-day.com on Thursday.
Bhuvneshwar’s former UP teammate, Imtiaz, 38, represented the state in 45 first-class matches, claiming 138 wickets with his medium pace. He shifted base to Mumbai due to office commitments in 2011 and guides budding cricketers in Dharavi.
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