Former India batter Sachin Tendulkar has pointed to a specific tweak in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s IPL 2026 craft, arguing that the swing bowler has leaned on what he called a “wobbly seam” to make life tougher for batters. Tendulkar believes the variation disrupts a hitter’s read of the ball’s trajectory, because the seam movement creates uncertainty about whether the delivery will move away from the batter or come back in.
Bhuvneshwar has been a major reason Royal Challengers Bengaluru have reached the IPL 2026 final, and his numbers underline that influence. The veteran pacer has claimed 26 wickets across 15 matches, and with Sunday’s title match scheduled against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Tendulkar explained how Bhuvneshwar has adjusted his approach during the season.
Speaking in a video shared on X, Tendulkar said, “This season, if you look at Bhuvi’s seam, I think it is a wobbly seam. So when a wobbly seam comes, a batsman often doesn’t know whether the ball is going to fall out or in. And that is what Bhuvi has been doing.” In Tendulkar’s view, the key is that the seam action itself becomes the primary problem for the batter, rather than relying only on the predictable effects of conventional swing.
He further suggested that Bhuvneshwar has reduced his dependence on purely traditional swing shapes and instead focused on staying straighter with his lines while letting the seam movement do the heavy lifting. Tendulkar noted that the usual logic of swing—where the seam points toward particular areas for an outswinger or inswinger—has been altered by Bhuvneshwar’s new method. For an outswing delivery, Tendulkar explained, the seam tends to line up toward the first or second slip, whereas for inswing it angles toward the leg slip for a right-handed batter. He also added that the bowler’s wrist position changes as part of that execution.
Tendulkar’s praise didn’t stop at the “wobbly seam.” He also highlighted the bowler’s precision and consistency, saying that Bhuvneshwar’s accuracy enables him to extract maximum value from the variation. “He has been very, very accurate. If you see, his lines have been very, very tight, either off-stump or at the most towards the fourth stump. And from there, he tries to bowl a straight ball with a wobbly seam,” the 53-year-old said. The combination of tight targeting and the altered seam behaviour, he argued, makes the delivery harder to read at the crease.
In Tendulkar’s explanation, that difficulty comes from how the ball behaves once it lands. “That ball either goes out or in. So that becomes a little difficult to pick because the signal is less from the wrist. What happens in a wobbly seam is that when the seam lands one way, the ball goes out, and when it lands another way, it goes in or stays straight. So that has been Bhuvi’s success mantra, I think, for this season. He has been bowling exceedingly well. Well done, Bhuvi,” he added.
With the IPL 2026 final looming, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be counting on Bhuvneshwar to carry that impact into the early spells, especially during his new-ball overs. Heading into the title clash against Gujarat Titans, he brings 26 wickets and a reputation as one of the side’s most influential performers this campaign.
