'Captain's dream. Only Bumrah ahead': Bhuvneshwar Kumar's masterclass in Chinnaswamy wins fans over despite RCB's loss
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was among the rare positives for RCB during their disappointing defeat against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025 on Wednesday.
On a night when Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bowling attack crumbled under pressure, veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar stood tall, delivering a brilliant spell that won him admiration across social media. While Gujarat Titans chased down the 170-run target with 13 balls to spare, Bhuvneshwar’s four-over spell of 1/23 emerged as the only bright spot in the side's bowling attack in an otherwise forgettable night for the hosts.
Fans took to X to shower praise on the experienced seamer, lauding his ability to maintain control even as the rest of RCB’s bowling unit, barring Yash Dayal, leaked runs at over 10 runs/over. With the M Chinnaswamy Stadium’s small boundaries and dew making life difficult for bowlers, Bhuvneshwar’s economy of 5.80 was nothing short of extraordinary.
His dismissal of GT captain Shubman Gill, who was caught at backward point, gave RCB a glimmer of hope early on. However, a dominant 75-run partnership between Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler quickly snuffed out any chances of a fightback. Despite Bhuvneshwar’s efforts, Bengaluru lacked penetration from the other end, allowing Gujarat to coast to an eight-wicket win.
Here's how fans reacted to Bhuvneshwar's performance:
Bhuvneshwar was bought by RCB for INR 10.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad after 11 years with the franchise, during which time he also lifted the title in 2016. He dominated the IPL's bowling charts during his time with the Sunrisers, winning back-to-back Purple Caps in 2016 and 2017, and was instrumental in Sunrisers Hyderabad's maiden title triumph; he picked 23 wickets in 17 matches in the title-winning season.
A record outing for Bhuvneshwar
Adding another feather to his illustrious cap, Bhuvneshwar’s spell also saw him etch his name in IPL history. With 183 wickets in 178 matches, he equalled Dwayne Bravo’s tally, becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker among pacers in the league’s history.
Only spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (206) and Piyush Chawla (192) have taken more IPL wickets than the Indian pacer.
