Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh

International career

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a former Indian cricketer who played for India from 2012 to 2022. He is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and is called "Swing King". Bhuvneshwar started his career as a swing bowler and later developed skills like reverse swing and yorkers. He also became a specialist in death-over bowling. He played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. Here’s a timeline of his international career:

• 2012:
  On December 25, Bhuvneshwar Kumar played his first T20I match against Pakistan in Bengaluru. He took 3 wickets. Five days later, on December 30, he made his ODI debut against Pakistan and took a wicket on his first ball.
• 2013:
  Bhuvneshwar played his first Test match against Australia in February during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In June, he was part of the winning Indian team in the ICC Champions Trophy. He took 6 wickets in the tournament and was named in ESPNcricinfo’s ‘Team of the Tournament.’ In July, he took 4 wickets for just 8 runs against Sri Lanka in the Tri-nation series, finishing as the top wicket-taker with 10 wickets.
• 2014:
  Bhuvneshwar Kumar was named ‘Man of the Series’ in the Test series against England. Despite India losing the series, he took two five-wicket hauls and scored three fifties as a lower-order batsman.
• 2015:
  He was selected for the ICC Cricket World Cup but played only one match, against the UAE, due to fitness issues.
• 2016:
  Bhuvneshwar played just four Test matches that year. He struggled with his form during the season.
• 2017:
  In 2017, Bhuvneshwar returned to form during the ICC Champions Trophy, where India reached the final. He was again named in the ‘Team of the Tournament.’
• 2018:
  On February 18, Bhuvneshwar took 5 wickets for 24 runs against South Africa in a T20I, becoming the first Indian bowler to take five-wicket hauls in all three formats of cricket.
• 2022:
  Bhuvneshwar played in the Asia Cup and was the highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is regarded as one of India's best swing bowlers. He made a significant impact in all formats of the game throughout his career.

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:

In 2025, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was signed at a mega auction for ₹10.75 crore, turned out to be the missing piece in the RCB bowling lineup. His experience played a crucial role in the playoffs, helping RCB finally win its first IPL title by defeating the Punjab Kings in the final on June 3, 2025.

For the 2026 season, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been retained by RCB for ₹10.75 crore. He enters the tournament as the leader of the pace attack alongside Josh Hazlewood.

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.