Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) championships by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2026 final on Sunday (May 31).
Following the triumph, RCB head coach Andy Flower showered heavy praise on veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for anchoring the bowling unit through intense pressure situations across both title runs.
Flower admitted that batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik’s initially surprising proclamation about the seamer was completely "spot on".
When RCB picked up Bhuvneshwar for INR 10.75 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction, critics questioned his price tag and whether his peak years were behind him.
As Flower expressed concerns about his fitness, Karthik said: "Bhuvi, just for the record, I'm convinced he's the best bowler India has after (Jasprit) Bumrah even today."
Ultimately, the 36-year-old completely repaid the faith by claiming 45 wickets across two seasons, helping transform RCB from perennial history-seekers to definitive history-makers.
“Bhuvi has been outstanding for these last two seasons. And it’s arguable that we wouldn’t have had our success at all over the last two seasons if he hadn’t been producing performances under pressure repeatedly that he’s done over the last two seasons,” Flower said in a press conference organised by RCB.
Having taken 17 wickets in the 2025 edition, Bhuvneshwar claimed 28 in IPL 2026, just one wicket less than eventual Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada of Gujarat Titans.
"One of the privileged positions that Mo and I find ourselves in is we watch training very closely. We're very closely involved in every training session, and it's an absolute pleasure and privilege to watch guys like Virat (Kohli) train, for instance, or Tim David's power, or indeed Bhuvi's mastery of his art. And I call it art because that control that he's got out of his fingers, and what he can do with the ball, and the control of the ball and where he wants it to go is really a pleasure to watch," Flower remarked when talking about what Bhuvneshwar brings to the table.
"I admire him greatly. He's grown that skill over the years. He's kept himself fit. If you just look at last night as an example, the ball wasn't swinging that much, and he used that surprise whippy bouncer of his to great effect.
"So he probably has surprised me a little with his level of skill, his calmness under pressure, his competitiveness, and his positive effect on everyone around him. You know, whether that's in a preparation meeting or a debrief or around the training ground.
"And most certainly out there in the middle where he's influencing people around him, not just with his words, but with his demeanour and with his actions. That's incredibly impressive and has surprised me about how outstanding he is," he explained.
With this victory, RCB became only the third franchise in IPL history to successfully defend their crown, joining Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
