Not finished! Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still better than these 30 Indian pacers

Why Bhuvneshwar Kumar should not get another chance to play another stint for Team India? The question has become louder after the Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) match on April 27 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The 36-year-old finished the contest with a bowling figure of 3 wickets for 5 runs in 3 overs with an economy rate of 1.67. Any bowler across the planet would love to get these kinds of stats.

It is necessary to remember that Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed those astonishing numbers against the Delhi Capitals inside the powerplay, when batters had the freedom to play random lofted shots over the fielder’s head. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is currently leading the bowlers tally in the IPL 2026 season, with 14 wickets and an economy rate of 7.61 in 8 matches. Emerging Indian bowlers like Anshul Kamboj and Prince Yadav, who have been praised for significant bowling spells with their respective teams, are all behind the RCB pacer.

Why Bhuvneshwar Kumar deserves to play for Team India in T20Is?

Back in 2025, when Team India had to suffer a challenging situation while traveling in England because of multiple injuries, the team management called Anshul Kamboj to join the team. Days after joining the team, he even made his Test debut as well against the England cricket team in Manchester.

In search of a well-set pace bowling pack, the selectors tried out multiple combinations. Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Jaydev Unadkat- all got repeated chances to prove themselves to shine for the Men in Blue brigade. The search for a backup pacer, who can be a partner of Jasprit Bumrah as well, continues, for each and every format of international cricket.

Performance in the Indian Premier League has become one of the parameters to get a ticket for team India’s T20I selection. T Natarajan, Avesh Khan, and Harshal Patel are among the names who went to play for India after a promising IPL season. While the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel was looking for fresh talent, Kumar delivered again and again in the league over the years.

Notable bowling stats of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in IPL:

Kumar has been playing IPL since 2011, and in most of the seasons, his economy rate is between 7 and 8, and in most of the seasons, he claimed well over 10 wickets.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced unmatchable stats in IPL

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s last match for India was a T20I against New Zealand in Napier on November 22, 2022. After that, in 2023, he bagged 16 wickets, in the IPL 2024 season, he scalped 11, in the next season, he got 17, and in the ongoing campaign, he already has 14 wickets under his belt. If the selection panel picks players on the basis of performance, then the seamer deserves to be in the team.

The bowling spell against the Delhi Capitals on April 27, 2026, was a statement by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a statement not through the words, but with the ball, which will definitely force the selectors to think twice before eliminating him from the selection process. It was the 20^th time in IPL when he secured a 3-wicket bowling figure. Only Jasprit Bumrah is ahead of him regarding this.

Most 3-wicket hauls among pacers in IPL

• 25 – Jasprit Bumrah
• 20 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar*
• 19 – Lasith Malinga
• 17 – Harshal Patel

Since the 2023 IPL season, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only Indian bowler who has taken 32 wickets in power plays. Mohammed Siraj is close to him with 28 wickets in this specific quarter.

Most Wickets in Powerplay (IPL since 2023):

• 32 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
• 32 – Trent Boult
• 28 – Mohammed Siraj
• 28 – Mohammed Shami
• 24 – Deepak Chahar
• 24 – Arshdeep Singh

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has opened the gate for all the emerging talents across the states. Every season, multiple young stars appear. Among those, a few turned into one-season wonders, and a few gradually faded away from the scenes. Only a few players can successfully pass the grind.

The competition has become more challenging as the ongoing IPL season has mostly turned into a batters’ paradise and a graveyard for the bowlers. Frontline pacers like Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat, Deepak Chahar, and many pacers of their respective franchises have been struggling to maintain an economy rate as well as take wickets. There were hardly any Indian pacers whose economy rate was below 8.00.

(1-6 overs)
Bhuvi – 405.5 overs, 87 Wickets, 6.55 Eco
Bumrah – 199.0 overs, 39 Wickets, 6.77 Eco,

(7-15 overs)
Bhuvi – 73.2 overs, 10 Wickets, 8.45 Eco
Bumrah – 152.0 overs, 44 Wickets, 6.55 Eco

(16-20 overs)
Bhuvi – 255.3 overs, 115 Wickets, 9.27 Eco
Bumrah – 231.1 overs,…

— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) April 27, 2026

List of 30 notable pacers and their respective stats in IPL 2026:

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