Former India batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has pointed to a specific tactical evolution from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) speed bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, saying the pacer has reached a fresh gear in IPL 2026 by using a “wobbly seam” that unsettles batters’ judgement. Tendulkar highlighted how the subtle variation has been hard to read across the campaign, turning into a major weapon heading into the summit clash.
Quick facts
- Sachin Tendulkar believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s “wobbly seam” has become a key strength in IPL 2026.
- Bhuvneshwar has taken 26 wickets in 15 matches for RCB this season.
- RCB reached the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
- Tendulkar said Bhuvneshwar has focused on bowling straighter lines while letting the seam movement create uncertainty.
- Tendulkar also praised Bhuvneshwar’s accuracy, often landing around off-stump and, at times, near the fourth-stump region.
Tendulkar explained that when the seam wobbles, a batter is left unsure whether the ball will move away or come back. In his view, that hesitation in the moment of contact has been central to Bhuvneshwar’s effectiveness throughout IPL 2026.
He further noted that the veteran seamer has not leaned as heavily on conventional swing patterns this season. Instead, the emphasis has shifted toward firing the ball on straighter lines, with the seam itself engineered to generate doubt for the hitter.
In Tendulkar’s breakdown, the bowler’s intent and the resulting seam angle can influence where the ball threatens in the air and off the pitch. He said that when a long outswinger or inswinger is the plan, the seam typically points toward the first or second slip area for an outswinger, while for an inswinger it tends to angle toward the leg-slip channel for a right-handed batter.
Tendulkar also mentioned that the wrist position changes with those different intentions, but in Bhuvneshwar’s case the variation is being used in a more deliberate and repeatable way. The outcome, according to Tendulkar, is a delivery that looks to be travelling one way before the seam does the real work at the point of landing.
The master batter then praised the precision behind the concept. He said Bhuvneshwar’s lines have been notably tight, frequently hovering around off-stump or extending to the area close to the fourth stump, before the bowler tries to convert that accuracy into a straight ball that carries a “wobbly seam.”
That combination, Tendulkar argued, makes the ball more difficult to track because the usual cues from the wrist offer less clarity. He described it as a scenario where the seam landing one way sends the ball moving out, while a different seam landing leads it to come in or stay true, turning the delivery into a more challenging proposition for batters to pick early.
Tendulkar summed up the approach as Bhuvneshwar’s success formula for the season, adding that the pacer has been bowling “exceedingly well” and deserved the praise for how effectively the idea has been executed.
RCB look to ride the form into the final
RCB will now be hoping Bhuvneshwar can reproduce that impact with the new ball when they take on the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final. The Bengaluru-based franchise are chasing a second straight title, and with 26 wickets already credited to his tournament tally, Bhuvneshwar has the experience and threat to swing the biggest moments of the match.
