As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) get ready to host Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, their premier fast bowler stands on the cusp of a milestone. No, not Josh Hazlewood. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one wicket away from becoming just the second bowler – and first fast bowler – to take 200 wickets in the IPL, a testament to his longevity and evolving skillset in an unforgiving environment.
When Bhuvneshwar first burst onto the scene, he was an out-and-out swing bowler, and viewed largely as a powerplay specialist. At 36, he is still one of the most reliable bowlers in the first six overs, but his rise as a death bowler, where he has added the knuckle ball and pitch-perfect yorkers to his armoury, has been equally impressive.
In IPL 2025, the limelight was entirely on Hazlewood, whose hit-the-deck bowling played a starring role in RCB’s maiden IPL title win. But quietly, the freshly-recruited Bhuvneshwar also did his thing, taking 17 wickets in 14 games. While his new-ball bowling was potent as ever, his death-bowling was as effective. Bhuvneshwar picked up seven wickets in the death last season, one more than Hazlewood. His double-wicket 17th over in the final against Punjab Kings, where he removed Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis, was crucial in RCB winning a tight game.
With Hazlewood out of action for the first few games, Bhuvneshwar entered IPL 2026 as RCB’s premier bowler and immediately made an impact. In the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he bowled overs 2, 4, 18 and 20 and conceded just 31 runs, even as the batters were on an all-out attack.
At training, too, Bhuvneshwar has easily stood out in RCB’s bowling group. On the eve of the opening game, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli were tonking the bowlers for fun at the Chinnaswamy Stadium but neither batter got hold of Bhuvneshwar. His mix of hard-lengths, cutters and yorkers proved too much.
With CSK up next, Bhuvneshwar will have Sanju Samson and wicket no. 200 in his sights. Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Samson four times in the IPL and will want to extend the batter’s lean run.
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Bhuvneshwar is a no-nonsense bowler who often flies under the radar. He bowls in the powerplay and death, is almost always among the wickets, and keeps his economy rate in check. Think back to the game between RCB and Pune Warriors India in 2013. The first thing that comes to mind is Chris Gayle’s 175 and RCB’s mammoth score. There was another eye-catching figure. Amid all the mayhem in Bengaluru that day, Bhuvneshwar’s four overs went for just 23.
Bhuvneshwar’s IPL career can be split into three parts. He spent two years at RCB in 2009 and 2010, though he didn’t play a game for them in the IPL. He then had three uneventful seasons with Pune before he moved to SRH, where his career took flight.
Between 2014 and 2017, Bhuvneshwar was at his peak. In those four seasons, no bowler took more wickets than his 87, while he also maintained an economy rate of 7.25. He won the Purple Cap in 2016 and 2017 – the only bowler to win it back-to-back – and also became a regular in the India team.
Then came the decline. Between 2018 and 2022, he picked up just 43 wickets in 56 innings. While his economy was a healthy 7.64, the wickets dried up. He needed a revival. Since IPL 2023, Bhuvneshwar has already taken 45 wickets in 45 innings, and while his economy rate has jumped to 8.97, it is acceptable amid the rising run rates in the IPL.
Bhuvneshwar is one of the best powerplay bowlers in the IPL. No one else has more wickets in the first six overs: 80, with an economy of 6.52 (third-best among bowlers with 100-plus powerplay overs) and a dot-ball percentage of 57.3. He has a stellar record in the death overs as well: 93 wickets, only behind Dwayne Bravo’s 102, while maintaining an economy rate of 9.5.
At his peak, Bhuvneshwar running in, moving the ball both ways, and beating batters with swing was a joy to watch. He may have drifted from that for a bit, but at 36, Bhuvneshwar has reinvented himself. If he gets his 200th on Sunday, he will claim some of the spotlight in RCB’s high-profile contest against CSK.
