India bowling coach Morne Morkel urged Bhuvneshwar Kumar to ignore outside expectations and focus on regaining his rhythm after an expensive return to international cricket. The 36-year-old pacer conceded 49 and 50 runs in his first two T20Is against New Zealand after a gap of nearly four years.

Bhuvneshwar earned his recall after impressive IPL campaigns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), taking 17 wickets in 2025 and 28 in 2026 as the franchise won consecutive titles. The experienced pacer has taken 91 wickets in 90 T20Is at an average of 23.93 and an economy rate of 7.10, including two five-wicket hauls.

Morne Morkel Reveals Message to Bhuvneshwar Kumar After Expensive Return

Speaking ahead of the third T20I, Morne Morkel highlighted the expectations surrounding Bhuvneshwar Kumar's comeback and the limited preparation time he had before returning to international cricket.

"I have got a lot of sympathy for his return. You know, the reason why I say that is that there will be expectations after 4 years to come out. He has done exceptionally well in the IPL; he has bowled really well," Morne Morkel said.

He added that Bhuvneshwar had limited time to prepare for the series. International cricket leaves little room for error, so he urged the pacer to allow himself time to settle back into the team.

"The skill and, you know, his experience, everything is there, but at the end of the day, you know, you have to respect the game of cricket, and you have to be able to allow him to just find his feet in some of the games," he explained.

"Do not chase anything, just be you. You know, yes, there will be expectations, but let us just— every game you will get better and every game you will find your rhythm. So let's not think about any outside noises. Just be you and connect with that," he added.

Why India Picked Prince Yadav Over Mayank Yadav for 2nd T20I

Morne Morkel also explained India's decision to bring in Prince Yadav for Mayank Yadav in the second T20I in Christchurch. He said the change was tactical, with the team considering the ground dimensions, expected dew and the need for accurate yorkers while defending a total.

"That was just purely a tactical sort of change we felt was needed at that venue. It is no secret that Prince, at the death, he is bowling his yorkers, is somebody that executes that quite well, and it was sort of just felt that if we had to bowl second and the ball is wet and, you know, taking into consideration the dimensions of the field, we wanted a guy with a high percentage of nailing the yorkers," he said.

Mayank conceded 40 runs and took one wicket in four overs in the series opener. Prince took 1/30 in four overs in the second T20I, with his yorker execution making him a suitable option for the conditions.

Morne Morkel Explains Why Mayank Yadav Was Benched Despite Decent First T20I

Morne Morkel clarified that Mayank Yadav's omission was not a result of poor performance. He said the young pacer could benefit from time away from the field to assess his bowling and improve his understanding of reading batters and planning overs.

"I felt Mayank bowled really well in that game (the first T20I, conceding 1/40 in four overs), you know, in that first game. So it is definitely not because of performance (that Mayank sat out)."

"But again, Mayank, for me, I think it is sometimes good for a young boy like that to play a game, give him a little bit of time to reflect, understand bowling, because he is still raw and he still needs to understand a lot in terms of how to read and how to set up an over."