Bhuvneshwar Kumar turned up for India after a gap of nearly four years as an 11th hour call-up for deciding T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru. The washed out contest may not have offered the veteran seamer a chance to roll his arms, but only a few months shy of turning 37, he hasn’t let the selectors turn their eyes away from him.

The inclusion for the West Indies game may have come following a blow suffered by Arshdeep Singh, but Bhuvneshwar remains in fray for a long-term vision of the national team, starting with the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

For Shreyas Iyer, India's T20I captain, the reasons are obvious. Bhuvneshwar knows ‘what it takes to dominate’ in this format.

“Bhuvi definitely brings a lot of experience to the team,” Iyer said on Wednesday ahead of the opening T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch. “We were lacking that a little, especially after the IPL. We had a lot of new bowlers. But in T20, if you see his career graph, he has won IPL in the last two years, so he has a very good idea about how to dominate this format.”

Bhuvneshwar has entered a territory that is already bustling with options. Since his last appearance for the national time, in 2022, nine frontline pacers have made their T20I debuts. With Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah being the first-choice picks, it’s a battle for largely the third pacer’s spot in a full-strength side. Even in a largely depleted squad picked for the New Zealand series, he stands as one among the four frontline pace options.

Iyer believes Bhuvneshwar’s return will leave him with a selection conundrum, but it’s a pain he’s willing to take. “It's good in a way and it motivates the current team members that we have to consistently perform for the team,” he said. “The most important thing is to win the match. That is the eventual goal. So, I just want to say that it's a sweet headache, but it's important for every team, that kind of headache."

While conditions in New Zealand are expected to be friendly to pacers, especially swing bowlers, Iyer doesn’t want to jump the gun too soon on what to expect in the upcoming series, and rather be prepared to acclimatize quickly to whatever is on offer..

“If we look at the conditions here, fast bowling suits the best,” he said. “And I've also been here before. It's not like the conditions are completely different. But when we played in England, they had prepared wickets according to our batting. On a given day, no one knows how the wicket will be, so we'll try to acclimatise as soon as possible. And if we have a good practice session, then every individual will get a fair idea about how to plan.”

One of the most bolder decisions the Indian team management took in T20 cricket this year, was the selection of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Following his explosive season in the IPL, the 15-year-old was swiftly drafted into the national team, but has largely spent time sitting out of the XI. Even as he has travelled with the national team, game time has been limited for him, coming at the cost of playing first-class cricket with his domestic side.

Iyer defended the decision to not select Sooryavanshi as frequently, and added that there is bound to be a learning experience for the youngster even from the sidelines.

"It's important that a talent like him should always be happy around the dressing room,” Iyer admitted. “He is very young. He has more years to get the opportunity. It's not like he can come and walk in straight away, because our openers are consistently scoring and they have won the World Cup.”

“In a way, if you see, when he is coming overseas, he will get a fair idea how to play in these particular wickets. So, next time whenever he comes in these conditions, he will be very well prepared. In a way, he will also get the motivation that I want to score runs here. He can also instruct other youngsters who will come for the first time,” he concluded.