The return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not been as impressive as his performances in the last couple of Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. The bowler, who helped the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to win their maiden and defend their title in two back-to-back seasons, proved very costly against New Zealand in the last couple of matches.

Ahead of the India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I of the ongoing 5-match series, while there are some concerns over Bhuvneshwar Kumar, former New Zealand National Cricket Team fast bowler Tim Southee explained why the 36-year-old is important for the India National Cricket Team in this series and why he returned with two back-to-back lackluster performances in New Zealand.

Tim Southee explains why Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a vital cog for Team India

Kumar joined the national side after almost 4 years. He joined the team with a lot of skills and years of experience in bowling in limited-overs cricket, especially in the T20 format. Additionally, there was no Jasprit Bumrah in the first two matches. Therefore, because of the experience and proven skills, the responsibility and a lot of expectations were on Kumar, as Tim Southee observed.

“You look at his skill and experience that is vitally important in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence,” the former New Zealand fast bowler told the Hindustan Times.

He'll have an impact: Tim Southee on Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Southee has strong beliefs that Bhuvneshwar Kumar will definitely make a strong bounce back. There could be some rust in his bowling, as he made his return with the Men in Blue after a long gap.

“So, I think it's been a very well-deserved recall. He's been one of the top performers in the IPL for the last few years. I think he'll bounce back. It's his first time back playing international cricket for a while. So, I'm sure he'll have an impact at some stage in the series," Tim Southee continued.

Tim Southee explains why Bhuvneshwar Kumar lacked flair

4-0-49-0 and 4-0-50-1 were the bowling figures of Kumar in the recent two matches against New Zealand. In both of the matches, especially in the first match, he started on a promising note, but missed the edge soon and eventually went costly.

Unlike generating express speed behind the deliveries, moving the ball in both ways is Bhuvneshwar Kumar's main strength. On the batting-friendly surfaces, he was able to produce significant swing.

“Yeah, it's an interesting one. You see a little bit of swing for the first over, but I think it's sort of been the case for a while in white-ball cricket now - the ball hasn’t swung. The surfaces tend to be pretty good, and everything tends to be pretty tough for the poor old bowlers," the former cricketer expressed.

"In T20 cricket, you sort of break it down into each delivery as an individual battle, and if you see there's swing on offer, then you try and maximise that. If there's no swing, then you have to go do other skills that you've got. If it does swing, then things are certainly a lot easier," he added further in the same interview.