After a four-year international absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is finding his feet again in New Zealand. Bowling coach Morne Morkel has urged the veteran pacer to block out expectations and trust his experience.Bhuvneshwar Kumar has conceded 99 runs in two T20Is against New Zealand (Courtesy: BCCI) Bowling coach Morne Morkel has offered Bhuvneshwar Kumar a reassuring message as the veteran pacer returns to international cricket after four years.

Speaking to the press on the eve of the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington, Morkel said he empathised with the senior fast bowler, who is looking to find his feet in international cricket again.Bhuvneshwar, 36, made his return to India's T20I squad for the fifth match against the West Indies in Bengaluru on October 17, but did not get an opportunity to bowl as rain interrupted the contest. His first two outings against New Zealand, however, have been challenging.

He conceded 49 runs without taking a wicket in the series opener in Christchurch before giving away 50 runs in the second T20I, in which he picked up a wicket in the powerplay."Look, I've got a lot of sympathy for his return," Morkel said."The reason why I say that is, one, there will be expectation after four years to come out. He's done exceptionally well in the IPL.

He's bowled really well. One is to block the expectation factor out." Bhuvneshwar earned his recall on the back of two productive IPL seasons, in which he stood out despite playing on flat pitches that offered limited assistance to bowlers.

The medium-pacer took 17 wickets in the 2025 season before returning with 28 in 2026, playing a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's back-to-back title triumphs.The 36-year-old had not played competitive cricket for four months before his return to the national set-up. He was called up for the West Indies series while preparing for India's New Zealand tour at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, leaving him with little time to make the transition from training to international match conditions.

Morkel acknowledged the lack of match practice, pointing out that preparing for a return to international cricket is different from simply training with the team."Two, leading into his selection, I mean, there was a month of cricket where, yes, he trained, but this is a different beast coming and playing international cricket where the margins are small. So he had to come in with limited training because of the schedule to get himself ready," Morkel said.'ALLOW HIM TO FIND HIS FEET'Despite Bhuvneshwar's experience, Morkel believes the expectations surrounding his comeback could make the transition difficult.

The pacer has been a proven performer in international cricket and the IPL, but returning after a prolonged absence brings its own challenges, particularly when he is expected to make an immediate impact.Alongside the technical work the two have been doing behind the scenes, Morkel has tried to ease that burden by urging Bhuvneshwar to focus on his strengths rather than the noise surrounding his return."So the skill and his experience, everything is there. But at the end of the day, we 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," Morkel said."And for me, that has been the message from the start when he joined the squad, is to, you know, don't chase anything.

Just be you. Yes, there will be expectations.

But just every game you'll get better and every game you'll find your rhythm. So let's not think about any outside noises.

Just be you and connect with that."The conditions in New Zealand had offered another reason to expect Bhuvneshwar to make an impact. Before the series, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner backed the Indian pacer to enjoy the conditions, pointing to his ability to extract movement even from surfaces that appear flat.

However, the opening two matches at Hagley Oval in Christchurch proved challenging for India's bowlers, with New Zealand posting 225 for four in the first T20I and 180 for five in the second.Bhuvneshwar will be hoping to make better use of the conditions as India prepare for the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday. With Jasprit Bumrah absent from the tour, the experienced pacer also has an opportunity to guide a relatively young pace attack.- Ends