Why Did Bhuvneshwar Kumar Wear Jersey No. 78 Instead of No. 15 on His India Return?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his return to the Indian team after a long wait of 1,045 days against the West Indies in the 5th T20I on Saturday. Despite the game being washed out, Bhuvneshwar’s return became a talking point on social media.

The 5-match series between India and the West Indies ended in a 2-2 draw, with both teams winning 2 matches each. It was a run-fest series of cricket in a while with some iconic batting performances. 

But there was a catch. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has traditionally worn jersey number 15 for India, was seen wearing jersey number 78. This raised a question among fans

Why Did Bhuvneshwar Kumar Wear Jersey No. 78 Instead of No. 15?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not part of the Indian squad before the series. However, ahead of the 5th T20I, he was added to the squad after Arshdeep Singh was ruled out due to a shoulder injury. This led to Bhuvneshwar joining the team on an emergency basis.

Meanwhile, another Indian pacer, Gurnoor Brar, also wears jersey number 15. Since 2 players in the same team cannot wear the same jersey number, Bhuvneshwar was seen wearing jersey number 78 instead of his usual number 15.

Bhuvneshwar did not get the opportunity to bowl as the match was washed out after the first innings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Scripts Unwanted Record 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar now holds the unwanted record for the longest gap between 2 T20I appearances for India by matches. The Indian pacer returned to the T20I setup after missing 106 matches between November 2022 and October 2026.

Here is the list of Indian players with the longest gaps between T20I appearances by matches:

• Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 106 matches (November 2022–October 2026 | 3 years, 340 days)

• Khaleel Ahmed: 104 matches (November 2019–July 2024 | 4 years, 237 days)

• Varun Chakaravarthy: 86 matches (November 2021–October 2024 | 2 years, 334 days)

• Sanju Samson: 73 matches (July 2015–January 2020 | 4 years, 173 days)

• Shivam Dube: 70 matches (February 2020–August 2023 | 3 years, 195 days)

When Will Bhuvneshwar Kumar Play Next for India?

The Indian pacer is likely to be seen in action during India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand. Bhuvneshwar has been included in India’s T20I squad, with the 1st match scheduled to be played on Thursday, October 22, in Christchurch.

India’s T20I Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav