Indian Premier League
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has had a long and successful career in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has played for different teams and shown his skill with the ball in each season. Here’s a look at his IPL journey:
Year | Team | Amount Bought For | Position | Key Achievements |
2008-2009 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | - | Bowler | Joined after good performances in Ranji. |
2011 | Pune Warriors India | - | Bowler | Played for the team until it was dissolved in 2013. |
2014 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹4.25 crores | Bowler | Signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2014 IPL Auction. |
2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | - | Bowler | Helped the team win the 2016 IPL title. Took 23 wickets and won the Purple Cap. |
2018 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | - | Vice-Captain | Became vice-captain of the team. |
2022 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹4.20 crores | Bowler | Bought again in the 2022 mega-auction, continued playing for the team. |
2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | - | Bowler | Released after the 2024 season. |
2025 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | ₹10.75 crores | Bowler | Bought by RCB in the November 2024 auction. Expected to play a key role in the 2025 season. |
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has played 154 matches in IPL so far. His skills with the ball, especially with swing, have helped him remain a key player in many seasons. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will join the IPL 2025 season, with fans eager to see which team he will represent.
Domestic career
Bhuvneshwar Kumar started his domestic cricket career at 17 and debuted in first-class cricket against Bengal. He played for Uttar Pradesh and Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy. One memorable moment in his career came during the 2008/09 Ranji season when he bowled out Sachin Tendulkar for his first-ever duck in first-class cricket.
After a six-year break, he returned to first-class cricket in January 2024. He had his best-ever bowling performance in a Ranji Trophy match against Bengal, taking 8 wickets for 41 runs. He took five wickets on the first day and three more on the second day, helping to bowl Bengal out for 188 runs.
Records and achievements
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has earned several significant awards and set numerous records throughout his career.
Awards:
- ICC Champions Trophy 2013: Kumar helped India win the Champions Trophy. He was also named to the ICC Team of the Tournament.
- Polly Umrigar Trophy (2014): He received the "Player of the Year" award at the BCCI ceremony in Mumbai.
- ICC Player of the Month (March 2024): Kumar won this award for his performance in the match against England.
- Purple Cap (2016): Kumar became the first player to win the IPL Purple Cap for two consecutive seasons.
Records:
- Best Bowling Figures: Kumar’s best bowling performance is 6 wickets for 82 runs, achieved against England at Lord’s in 2014.
- 5/82 and 121 Runs (2014): In Nottingham, Kumar took 5 wickets for 82 runs and scored 121 runs, marking his first five-wicket haul.
- 4/88 and 4/8 (2017): In Kolkata against Sri Lanka, he took 4 wickets for 88 runs in the first innings and 4 wickets for 8 runs in the second innings.
- Most Fifties in a Series: Kumar became the first Indian player to score three 50s in one series.
- Most Balls Faced by a No. 9 Debutant: He faced 97 balls as a debutant at the No. 9 position, the most by any player.
Personal life
Bhuvneshwar Kumar keeps a low profile off the cricket field despite his popularity. His personal life includes details about his family, finances, lifestyle, and connection with his fans. He has been involved in some controversies but continues to maintain a strong fan base. Let's look into his family, wealth, cars, house, scandals, and relationship with followers.
Family
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s father, Kiran Pal Singh, works as a sub-inspector, and his mother, Indresh Singh, is a homemaker. His elder sister, Rekha Adhana, encouraged him to take up cricket and brought him to his first coaching centre. In 2017, Bhuvneshwar married Nupur Nagar.
Finance
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s net worth is INR 74 crore (around $9 million) as of 2024. He started his IPL career in 2009 with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where the franchise paid INR 6 lakh for him. After playing two years with RCB, he was bought by Pune Warriors India for INR 20 lakh. He has been with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) since 2014. For the 2023 season, SRH retained him for INR 4.2 crore, and they kept him for the 2024 season as well. His IPL earnings have surpassed INR 55 crore.
Cars and House
Bhuvneshwar lives in a big house in Ganga Nagar, Meerut, with his family. He also owns a farmhouse in Noida. His car collection includes a Mercedes, Audi Q3, and BMW 530d M-Sport, worth about INR 75 lakh.
Scandals
In 2021,The Times of Indiareported that Bhuvneshwar was left out of the England tour because he didn’t want to play Test matches. He denied this on Twitter, saying he was still preparing for all formats. In 2022, after a poor performance in a T20 match against Australia, his wife, Nupur Nagar, criticized fans who criticized her husband.
In 2023, rumors spread after Bhuvneshwar removed "cricketer" from his Instagram bio, which led some fans to think he might retire. However, he played all 14 matches for SRH in the 2023 IPL.
Fans
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has many fans. After his excellent performance in a one-run win for SRH over Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, fans praised him. In 2023, after taking five wickets in a match between GT and SRH, fans said, "We need this kind of spell in ODI WC". He has 5 million followers on Instagram, is active on Twitter, and has a Facebook account.