Ahmedabad: In a tournament where a 15-year-old lit up the stage with his explosive batting, there was still room for a 36-year-old bowler to have the last say. That’s what Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved right through IPL 2026. His crafty bowling effort in Sunday’s season finale in front of a 90,000-strong crowd here added to his timeless quality.
If ever you needed an exemplifier of longevity, think of the Meerut-born pacer. Bhuvi first became an IPL winner in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad – he was the Orange Cap winner – when one of his bowling partners was Ashish Nehra, now in the Gujarat Titans dugout as head coach. He was then the lead pacer for the men in orange, also for the Indian team, one half of the deadly combine with Jasprit Bumrah.
Best known for his swing exploits to leave the batters in a quandary, Bhuvi would change his mode of operation in the final. RCB were quick to spot that the bouncers were hard to hit on Ahmedabad’s mixed soil pitch. That demanded only the slightest of adjustment in length for Josh Hazlewood. But for Bhuvi it meant he would have to bend his back for the plan not to backfire. That was another feature of the old bowling pro this year: his speeds consistently complemented his unrivalled skills.
Sai Sudharsan was bombarded with a short ball barrage until he would give in to Bhuvi’s bumper – 138.6 kph and directed at his head. The left-hander could only manage an uncomfortable fend to short-fine leg. The other key GT opener Shubman Gill’s stay was already cut short by Hazlewood. It’s been an open secret that get GT openers early and it’s half the battle won. Bhuvi and Hazlewood managed to do it frequently this year.
At the back half of the innings, Bhuvi came back to send the tall Jason Holder back, with another of his short balls.
Bhuvi-Hazlewood were a big part of RCB’s 2025 title run. The two old dogs showed they could do it all over again. Bhuvi led the way to rise to the top of RCB’s bowling charts. His 28 wickets were only next to GT’s Kagiso Rabada.
“I am good enough to hit this length every time. It is the most difficult length to hit and I am just going to keep hitting this length. Are you good enough to take me on or not?” Virat Kohli earlier spoke in appreciation of Bhuvi. “It is simple stuff. It is repetition, it is execution, it is uncomplicated consistency backed with tremendous belief.”
By bending the new ball in the air in a way few others can, by winning Powerplays in a season when so many other teams struggled, and then to be able to pivot and go short when needed, like old wine, Bhuvi simply kept getting better.
In a tournament that ran high on batting adrenaline, the pitch for the final was sluggish. After years of know-how, Bhuvi (4-0-29-2) wasn’t going to fluff his lines.
