The veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is all set to write history in the Indian Premier League as he is stepping into his 200th match of the IPL tournament to become the first Indian specialist fast bowler to reach this milestone. Virat Kohli’s post-match statement was a whiff of class and humility as he hailed his RCB colleague for his greatness as a pacer in the history of IPL.
Bhuvneshwar is tipped to hit the milestone in RCB’s match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday. He will also join the elite club of players who have played in 200 matches in the IPL, a list which is mostly composed of batters and spin-bowling all-rounders.
The achievement is even greater as no specialist fast bowler has gone through such a long campaign in the tournament before. Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has the most appearances on the IPL field amongst pace bowlers, with 161, while active players such as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are still a long way behind.
In a video released by RCB, Kohli complimented that the Bhuvneshwar has been consistent, intelligent and composed under pressure. It’s an immense achievement to be a fast bowler in 200 IPL games. It is an indicator of his fitness, discipline and his ability to deliver year after year, Kohli said.
He also praised Bhuvneshwar as one of the best three fast bowlers in IPL history, praising his economy rate, wicket taking ability and wicket taking power in the last moments coming on a dot. Virat Kohli said that Bhuvneshwar is a standout performer in every format for over 10 years due to his cricketing intelligence and reliability.
With Bhuvneshwar on the verge of achieving the milestone, the community of fans and cricket enthusiasts is witnessing the culmination of a career marked by skill, endurance, and unparalleled consistency in T20 cricket.