Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a Player-of-the-Match performance in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) dramatic two-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Raipur on Sunday (May 11).
The right-arm seamer snapped four wickets, helping RCB restrict MI to 166/7 in 20 overs after skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first.
During the chase, the defending champions were reduced to 39/3 in 5.1 overs before Krunal Pandya (73 off 46) produced a counter punch to steady the ship.
Needing 15 from the final over, Bhuvneshwar hit a crucial six off Raj Bawa. With two required off the last delivery, Rasikh Salam Dar scrambled for a double to seal the win for RCB.
After receiving his POTM award, Bhuvneshwar Kumar said he will remember that six at the end of the day.
“That six for sure, because I've bowled many times. I've taken few wickets before as well. But yeah, six is the thing I've enjoyed the most,” quoted Bhuvneshwar at the post-match presentation.
Bhuvneshwar, 36, is leading the wicket charts with 21 scalps and is the current holder of the Purple Cap. This is the fourth time he has taken 20+ wickets in an IPL season. He dismissed Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in the match, while leaking 23 runs in his full quota of four overs.
Speaking about his inspiration, Bhuvneshwar said, "Honestly, motivation is very overrated word for me. You read some quote, you see some video and you get motivated for a few minutes and that fades away very quickly. But the thing which keeps me going is the discipline and with that, yes we have physios and trainer with the team, but I've got a physio and trainer back at home. They work hard with me as well. They help me to keep me in shape. So I think credit goes to them as well."
He emphasized the importance of quickly reading the wicket, noting that his consistent length depends entirely on whether the surface offers any help or is flat.
“I think everything depends on the wicket and the position as well. Like today if there was a bit in the wicket when you hit the length ball and yes there are wickets which are flat when you bowl length ball, nothing happens, then you try something different. It's all about you reading the conditions as quickly as possible.”
Bhuvneshwar provided a sneak peek into his preparations, revealing that he stays in touch with the game between IPL seasons by playing in the UPT20 and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“I think good thing is that throughout the year I'm getting enough match practice to be in touch and enough break to you know recharge myself, bring back the strength. So I think yes, I play UPT20, Mushtaq Ali and that's enough practice for me to be in touch and yes of course when IPL comes, there is different practice because the level is probably different in Mushtaq Ali and UPT20. So yes, when I come back in the IPL, we have a camp and I do whatever I need,” he remarked.
Bhuvneshwar credited the team management for giving him the freedom to bowl exactly how he wanted, which boosted his confidence.
“(When the bowling is clicking) Probably the best feeling for me. But yes, when you do whatever you want to, you feel confident and yes, there's team management who leave everything on you. You can do whatever you want. So yes, you feel happy when you do whatever you want to do,” he stated.
Bhuvneshwar admitted that securing the two points was vital, as a loss would have put the team under significant pressure for the remainder of the tournament.
“I mean, crucial two points for us. If we would have lost that one, I wouldn't lie we would be under pressure. But yes, we did well to get those points,” he concluded.
