Ex-India batter Mohammad Kaif was in awe of Bhuvneshwar Kumar after the pacer rolled back the years with a superb spell against the Delhi Capitals in the IPL on Saturday. Representing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bhuvneshwar returned impressive figures of 4-0-26-3, even though he couldn’t prevent his side from going down by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Kaif noted that despite being 36, Bhuvneshwar still has the skill to trouble the best batters in the world and is good enough to play for India. He also reminisced about their time together in the Ranji Trophy, recalling how Bhuvneshwar once dismissed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for a duck.
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Kaif wrote, “There are moments when one gets emotional. Watching Bhuvi bowl so beautifully today brought back memories of the days when he was just 17. I was the UP captain, and was impressed by his control and swing. But selectors said he was too young. I insisted. Bhuvi made his Ranji debut, got Sachin Paaji for duck in the final. He’s 36 now, still troubles the best of batsmen with his swing. India comeback? Why not, Bhuvi still has it in him.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn’t played for India since the T20I series against New Zealand in 2022. Recently, the veteran pacer etched his name in history by becoming the first bowler to take 200 wickets in the IPL, and only the second overall after Yuzvendra Chahal.
BHUVNESHWAR SHINES IN BENGALURU
Right from his opening over, he set the tone beautifully, moving the ball both ways and keeping the batters guessing. The early reward came when he trapped Pathum Nissanka lbw with a sharp nip-backer, a dismissal that underlined his mastery of seam movement.
If that wasn’t enough, Bhuvneshwar returned in his second over to rip through the middle order. He first removed Karun Nair, inducing a false stroke with clever changes in length, before getting Sameer Rizvi to edge behind. At that stage, DC were reeling, and Bhuvneshwar looked almost unplayable.
Even in his second spell, with the ball no longer new, he maintained exceptional discipline. His third over went for just five runs, highlighted by pinpoint yorkers and subtle variations that denied the batters any momentum.
Though Tristan Stubbs managed a late boundary, Bhuvneshwar largely kept things tight, forcing the batters to work hard for every run.
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