Why Bhuvneshwar Kumar's Comeback For IND Vs NZ T20I Series Is Not Good News For RCB

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has made a well deserved return to the national set up for the first time since 2022. The 36-year-old was named in India's squad for the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand, ending his near four-year exile.

Kumar's return comes on the back of stellar performances with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He picked up 45 wickets in 30 games over the last two seasons, helping the franchise to back to back titles after an 18-year drought. While Bhuvi is certain to be retained ahead of the IPL 2027 retention deadline, his comeback complicates matters beyond the upcoming season for RCB.

RCB's long-term dilemma

RCB shelled out a whopping ₹10.75 crore to sign Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the last mega auction. He has proven to be worth every penny and will certainly be retained by the franchise ahead of the November 15 deadline.

However, beyond the upcoming season, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's future with the franchise could be in limbo. The 36-year-old's long hiatus from the Indian team meant that he was in line to become an 'uncapped' retention before the IPL 2028 mega auction. His call up and potential appearance makes him ineligible under that rule.

What is the uncapped retention rule?

Introduced ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, it allowed players to be considered as 'uncapped' if they had not made an international appearance for more than 5 years. BCCI caps retention prices differently for capped and uncapped players and the 'loophole' allowed several franchise to hold onto their veterans.

CSK retained MS Dhoni for ₹4 crore (minimum for uncapped) as opposed to the ₹11-14 crore (slabs for capped players) as per the last mega auction. Bhuvneshwar Kumar would have hit the 5-year mark in 2027, making him eligible for a retention at a lower price. His comeback offsets that, meaning RCB will have a dilemma on their hands come mega auction 2028.