Quick scoop: Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn’t “disappeared” — he’s been out of India’s squads since 2022, mainly because of form, injuries, and stronger competition for fast-bowling spots. He did, however, turn in a solid IPL 2025 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, so the comeback conversation is still alive.

What happened

Bhuvneshwar was once India’s go-to swing bowler, but repeated injuries and the shift toward higher pace and specialist death-overs bowling pushed him down the pecking order. Reports from 2025 say his last T20I was the Adelaide semifinal in 2022, and since then selectors haven’t brought him back despite good domestic/IPL performances.

Current status

  • He is still active in cricket, not retired.
  • He played IPL 2025 and reportedly took 17 wickets in 14 matches for RCB.
  • Older reports also note a history of injuries, including hamstring and thigh issues that disrupted his momentum.

Why fans are talking about him

People keep asking “what happened to Bhuvneshwar Kumar” because he went from being a frontline India pacer to being largely absent from international cricket, even though he remains effective in franchise cricket. The short version is: not a sudden fall, but a slow fade caused by injuries, role changes, and selection competition.

[10][9] [8][6] [9]
Status What it means
Out of India squads Has not played for India since 2022, per recent reports.
Still playing Continues in domestic/IPL cricket.
Comeback hope His IPL 2025 form kept comeback talk alive.
TL;DR: **Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still around, but injuries and selection changes have kept him out of India’s setup; his IPL form shows he’s not done yet.**