Bhuvneshwar Kumar Eyes 200-Wicket Milestone in IPL Showdown
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Key Takeaways
Bengaluru, April 5 (NationPress) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar is on the brink of achieving a remarkable milestone as the defending champions prepare to face Chennai Super Kings this Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The right-arm medium pacer, boasting 199 wickets in 191 IPL matches, is just one wicket away from becoming the second player in IPL history to reach the 200-wicket milestone. Additionally, he will be the first fast bowler to accomplish this feat.
Currently, Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for the most wickets in the tournament, with 224 wickets in 176 matches. Chahal surpassed Dwayne Bravo as the leading wicket-taker in IPL history during the 2023 season, achieving the milestone in his 153rd match.
Bhuvneshwar first joined RCB in 2009 but had to wait two seasons before making his debut in the tournament. After a few unremarkable seasons with Pune Warriors, he was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, quickly establishing himself as a crucial player in their powerplay and death bowling.
He consistently took more than 18 wickets in each of his first four seasons, clinching the purple cap two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017, playing a vital role in Sunrisers' only title win in 2016. Although his performance dipped in later seasons, he remained the franchise’s all-time leading wicket-taker until he returned to RCB in 2025.
During the 2025 IPL season, Bhuvneshwar secured 17 wickets in 14 matches. His new-ball bowling remained as effective as ever, and he also excelled in death bowling, taking seven wickets in that phase last season. Notably, his double-wicket over in the final against Punjab Kings was pivotal in RCB clinching their first trophy.
With Hazlewood unavailable for the opening matches, Bhuvneshwar stands as RCB's premier bowler. In the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he limited runs to just 31, despite facing aggressive batting.