Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar served notice that experience still matters, guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a dramatic two-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in Raipur on Sunday. MI, batting first under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, were kept to 166/7 in their 20 overs. Bhuvneshwar struck at key moments with a spell that returned figures of 4 wickets for 23 runs, turning the game in RCB’s favour.
At a glance
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians
- Venue: Raipur
- Result: RCB won by 2 wickets
- MI total: 166/7 in 20 overs
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowling: 4/23
- RCB chase: went to the final over
- Player of the Match: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Impact: RCB moved to the top; MI knocked out of the playoff race
Chasing the target, RCB couldn’t settle early and lost wickets at regular intervals, leaving the contest hanging by a thread heading into the last over. With pressure mounting, Bhuvneshwar showed his batting credentials, smashing a crucial six to push his team over the line. It was a finish that reflected both nerve and timing, especially with the equation tightening late in the innings.
The victory lifted RCB to the summit of the points table, while Mumbai’s campaign suffered a decisive blow as they were eliminated from playoff contention. Bhuvneshwar’s all-round impact—both with the ball and in the finish—earned him the Player of the Match award.
Calls for a national-team return
After the win, former India batter and selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth lavished praise on the 36-year-old and urged that he should be back in India colours. Srikkanth highlighted the way Bhuvneshwar swung the match early, pointing to breakthroughs in his opening overs and describing his execution as “vintage”.
“If you watched Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bowling, wow, wow, wow. Vintage Bhuvi. He finished off the game in the second over. In the first over he got Rickleton. Then, in the second over, he used the knuckleball to dismiss Rohit Sharma. The he got Suryakumar Yadav for a duck with a beauty. That killed the game. I am telling you. Bhuvneshwar Kumar should come back and play for India,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth’s assessment was backed by Bhuvneshwar’s dismissals during the innings: Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were sent back for 2, 22, 0 and 57 respectively. Those wickets tightened MI’s scoring and ensured the chase never became comfortable for RCB.
Ravichandran Ashwin, another former India all-rounder, also spoke positively about Bhuvneshwar’s prospects for a return to the national setup. Ashwin expressed the hope that a trending hashtag supporting Bhuvneshwar would catch fire across social media.
“It was Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s day. It has been his tournament. If your time is right, nobody can stop you. He would take it both (both the six and the four wickets). He is a lovely guy. I am so happy for him. He has done all the hard yards. He has played every single T20 game that has been available for him. He has worked incredibly hard on his fitness. A very unassuming guy. He is such a lovely guy to have in your team,” Ashwin said on JioHostar.
He added: “BringBackBhuvi. Let’s wait for that. I would love to see him being considered. A tick with the new ball, he is able to bowl in the death overs consistently. If you need, he is able to hit a six under pressure. I am extremely happy for him,” Ashwin concluded.
