IPL 2026: ‘When you’re confident, you execute things better’

RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (left) celebrates the wicket of MI opener Rohit Sharma in Raipur on Sunday. Pic/IPL

Young guns have dominated IPL 2026, with the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya taking the Powerplay by storm. But, like a stealth bomber, a man who is almost the combined age of Sooryavanshi and Arya, has been bossing the start of the innings like no one else - with the ball, rather than bat. The 36-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done it in trademark style: quietly and effectively. The RCB pacer has 21 wickets so far, and holds the Purple Cap (award for most wickets in a season).

Bhuvneshwar was speaking to select media on Sunday night, hours after his magnificent 4-23 in RCB's last-ball win over MI in Raipur, in an interaction filled with equal parts insight, reflection and humour.

He last played for India in November 2022, but Bhuvneshwar isn't going to worry too much about things he has no control over. "I looked at the team, and the next day, I was at peace," he says of the time when he was dropped, more than three years ago. "There's enough cricket for me to be in touch with the game. It's every cricketer's dream to play for the country, and I did it for 10 years, so it was easier for me to detach because I've seen everything."

Bhuvneshwar might have seen everything, but the batters can't seem to work him out, despite having seen plenty of him. Remarkably, Bhuvneshwar hasn't done anything differently. "Yes, the ball is coming out nicely for sure. But that was the case last year and before that," he points out. "It's just a matter of time and wickets. You take wickets, everything looks good. I'm not doing anything different. I did not train differently. But yes, wickets do give you confidence, and when you're confident, there's a chance you'll execute things better."

His experience showed even with bat in hand, when he hit a six over extra cover with nine needed in three balls. "After hitting the six, I thought batting is easy," he joked. "The field they had, it was obvious they would bowl wide outside off. If it was a bluff, I would have got bluffed. But he bowled there, and the shot happened."

It was Bhuvneshwar's first six in the IPL since 2016. Like he said, "it came at the right time" - much like everything he's done in IPL 2026 so far.

21
No. of wickets claimed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in 11 matches this season - the most so far

Six
No. of three-wicket hauls claimed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in IPL-19 - the joint-most by a bowler in a single season alongside Harshal Patel

Four
No. of times Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 20-plus wickets in an IPL season - the joint second-highest after Yuzvendra Chahal (five times)