Veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is in the kind of purple patch that can change a team’s fortunes in a hurry, and his latest impact has pushed Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the summit of the IPL points table. The spotlight is firmly on him after a standout spell versus Mumbai Indians, one that turned the match’s momentum.
Quick facts
At a glance
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s spell against Mumbai Indians helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru move to the top of the points table.
- He took four wickets, including the dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.
- Bhuvneshwar later hit a crucial six as RCB secured a two-wicket win.
- After the performance, calls grew for the BCCI to consider a return to the India team.
- His previous India T20I appearance came in 2022 against New Zealand.
- In the season so far, he has 21 wickets in 11 matches, leading the wicket-taking charts.
- He is followed by Chennai Super Kings’ Anshul Kamboj with 19 wickets.
In that memorable encounter, the 36-year-old right-arm pacer delivered when it mattered most, finishing with four wickets. Among the biggest names he accounted for were Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, as RCB’s bowling tightened the contest and prevented Mumbai from building a comfortable platform.
With the pressure shifting to the batting end, Bhuvneshwar also contributed with the bat—smashing a vital six that helped RCB complete a thrilling chase. The result was a narrow two-wicket win, and it quickly made him a dominant talking point across the league.
Following his match-winning display, former players and supporters urged the BCCI to explore the possibility of bringing Bhuvneshwar back into the national setup. That debate gathered pace because his last outing for India in a T20I came in 2022, when he played against New Zealand.
Amid the growing chatter, Bhuvneshwar finally addressed the subject. In a video shared by RCB, he made it clear that his current mindset is not centred on a comeback to Team India, saying he has stopped focusing on long-term targets and is instead concentrating on enjoying his run in the IPL.
“I am not thinking about India’s comeback. It has been many years since I stopped keeping or making long-term goals, because whenever I did that, it never worked for me,” Bhuvneshwar said. He added that he is simply grateful for what the journey has brought—highlighting that he has played 200 matches and taken a large number of wickets across phases, including both the powerplay and the death overs.
He also suggested that his current form feels like a reward rather than a sudden breakthrough. “There have been good years and bad years. Honestly, at this point in time, I am not feeling anything special,” he noted, while acknowledging that the emotions could surface later once his career winds down.
For now, he described the situation as “very normal” and explained that once he stops playing, he expects those moments to become useful memories. He framed his approach as one driven by day-to-day execution rather than chasing a specific outcome far down the line.
On the numbers front, Bhuvneshwar’s season has been difficult to ignore. With 21 wickets in 11 matches, he sits at the top of the wicket-taking standings, ahead of Chennai Super Kings’ Anshul Kamboj, who has taken 19 scalps.
Even with that lead, Bhuvneshwar kept his explanation grounded in process. “I know 2026 is going well. I’m getting wickets, but I’m doing all the same things I was doing earlier as well,” he said, pointing out that training may have been slightly more intense and that some details could be improved since he hasn’t been playing for the country.
He also highlighted the benefit of having time to reset after the IPL. “One of the best things is that I get quite a long break after the IPL,” he explained, adding that frequent cricket has helped him stay connected to the rhythm of the game while still allowing enough downtime to pursue other interests.
