Bhuvneshwar Kumar is an Indian cricketer and right-arm medium-fast bowler who has been praised for his ability to swing the ball both ways effectively. He has represented Uttar Pradesh and Central Zone in domestic cricket. He started his IPL career with Royal Challengers Bangalore, then moved on to the now-defunct Pune Warriors India for three seasons. He has had the most success with his current IPL side, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who won the tournament in 2016 thanks to his tournament-best 23-wicket haul.In first-class cricket, he made his name by dismissing iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for a duck. He has the distinction of becoming the first bowler to take a wicket in each style of the game. Though he has proven to be a match-winning bowler for India, he is also a capable batsman who has contributed to some valuable innings.
Childhood and Adolescence
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on February 5, 1990, and comes from the Luharli village in Bulandshahr. Kiran Pal Singh Mavi, his father, is an ASP with the Uttar Pradesh Police, and Indresh Mavi, his mother, is a housewife.
Rekha Adhana is his older sibling, and she is seven years his senior. His sister brought him to a cricket coaching centre 7-8 kilometres from their home when he was 13 and followed him there on a daily basis before he was able to go on his own.
He worked out at the Victoria Club in Meerut, which is owned by Vipin Vats, a former UP wicketkeeper. Sanjay Rastogi, his bowling mentor, showed him the finer points of using the new ball.
Career In Domestic
After making his first-class debut against Bengal at the age of 17, Bhuvneshwar Kumar joined the Uttar Pradesh Ranji squad in 2007. He became the first bowler to dismiss cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar for a duck in first-class cricket in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy final, and he finished the season with 35 wickets.
In the Duleep Trophy in 2012, he scored his first first-class century in the second semi-final against North Zone to help Central Zone reach the final and escape certain loss. When he came in to bat at No. 8 with the team trailing by 232 runs, he produced three outstanding partnerships with Praveen Kumar, Murali Kartik, and Rituraj Singh, earning him the ‘Man of the Match’ award.
Career In International
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was picked to play in the first T20I match against Pakistan on December 25, 2012, in Bengaluru, following his outstanding performance as an all-rounder in domestic cricket. He took three early wickets of Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, and Umar Akmal while defending a low total, but India was unable to save the match.
He earned a spot in the playing eleven for the ensuing ODI series thanks to his quality fast bowling with the new ball. He made his ODI debut against Pakistan on December 30 and dismissed Mohammad Hafeez with the first ball he bowled.
In his Test debut against Australia in the first match of the 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy on February 22, he failed to take wickets on a spin-friendly pitch. However, he demonstrated his batsmanship in the first Test, where he shared a historic 9th wicket partnership of 140 runs with M. S. Dhoni and scored 38, the highest debut score at No.10.
He took three crucial wickets in the first innings of the second Test against Australia, including David Warner, Ed Cowan, and Shane Watson, but he went wicketless in the second innings. He struggled to keep the batsmen under pressure in the first innings of the following Test, but made up for it in the second, taking the wickets of Shane Watson, David Warner, and Steve Smith.
He was then named to the squad for the Champions Trophy competition, which took place in England and Wales from June 6 to June 23, 2013. ESPNcricinfo writers named him to the ‘Team of the Tournament’ for his six wickets at an average of 22.83 and an economy rate of 3.91.
In June-July 2013, he played in the Tri-nation series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies, where he had his career-best figures of 4-for-8 against Sri Lanka on July 9. He was named ‘Man of the Series’ after finishing the series as the top wicket-taker with 10 wickets in four matches.
After that, he was called to the Champions Trophy team, which took place in England and Wales from June 6 to June 23, 2013. For his six wickets at an average of 22.83 and an economy rate of 3.91, ESPNcricinfo writers called him to the ‘Team of the Tournament.’
He played in the Tri-nation series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies in June-July 2013, and on July 9, he had his career-best figures of 4-for-8 against Sri Lanka. After finishing the series as the highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets in four matches, he was dubbed ‘Man of the Series.’
In 2016, he only played four Tests, but he was back in top form for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, where he was called to the ‘Team of the Tournament’ for his role in helping India reach the finals.
On February 18, 2018, he bowled 5-24 against South Africa in the first T20I, leading India to a 28-run victory. He became the first Indian bowler to take five wickets in all formats of the game with this.
Career In IPL
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the IPL in 2009, but he only appeared in one match during his two seasons with the club. He was signed by Pune Warriors India in 2011 and had 24 wickets in 31 matches, including two 3-wicket hauls, before the franchise was terminated in 2013.
In 2014, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad and helped them win the 2016 IPL by taking 23 wickets, the most in the competition, earning him the coveted Purple Cap. With 26 wickets in the following seasons, he kept the Purple Cap, and he took five wickets in a match against Kings XI Punjab.
Achievements & Awards
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the first Indian bowler to take 5-wicket hauls in all formats. In all three formats, he has bowled out all three of his targets for his debut wickets.
He set several records on his debut Test, including the most balls faced (97), the most runs scored (38), and a joint 9th wicket partnership of 140.