Bhuvneshwar Kumar's top 5 spells (Source: @BCCI/x.com)
In a tense game, when India is struggling hard on a flat track and needs a crucial breakthrough, the ‘Swing King’ used to walk on with his most trusted weapon. Master of line, length, and swing, even on lifeless pitches, Bhuvneshwar Kumar proves why he’s the nightmare for batters.
In the history of the game, Team India has produced some of the iconic pacers over the years, but very few have emerged like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. A seamer who doesn't have a lightning-fast pace, but he has those variations, which make him unplayable, especially to the right-handed batters.
Since the earliest days of his career, the bowler has registered some of the iconic performances, keeping the world in disbelief. As he celebrates his 36th birthday, let’s revisit Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s five most unforgettable performances across formats.
5 best spells of Bhuvneshwar Kumar
5. 6/82 vs England in 2014:
In his glorious career, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has channeled his inner excellence across the formats. The longest format witnessed some of his best, as Team India’s Test match against England in 2014 is one of them. With the new ball in hand, Bhuvi unleashed his magic, leaving fans and batters alike spellbound on a tricky surface.
As England walked out to bat, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave some early blows to England as he removed captain Alastair Cook and Sam Robson in quick succession. After that, he made his third mark, removing Ian Bell. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had to wait until the 83rd over to claim his fourth wicket, dismissing Gary Ballance.
Coming to bowl in the 99th over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar marked an amazing fifer, sending Ben Stokes on a duck. As he was left with more destruction, he struck again to remove Stuart Broad, finishing with a remarkable 6/82 and leaving the opposition in tatters.
4. 5/33 vs West Indies in 2016
As the Test format has witnessed some of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s best with the ball, the third Test against West Indies in 2016 is one of the best among all. Known for their low-bounce pitches, the West Indies surface posed a tough challenge, yet Bhuvi worked his magic, tormenting the batters.
Chasing Team India’s first innings target of 353 runs, West Indies batters proved to be heavy on the Indian bowlers until Bhuvi arrived. In the 88th over, the seamer made his first mark, removing Jermaine Blackwood in 20 runs. As Marlon Samuels emerged as a threat to India, the Indian bowler removed him in 48 runs.
Coming back in attack in the 91st over, he removed Roston Chase in 2 runs. After removing captain Jason Holder in just two runs, Bhuvi tightened his grip. In the 96th over, Alzarri Joseph fell to Bhuvi, completing a magical five-wicket haul as he finished with an exceptional 5/33.
3. 5/24 vs South Africa in 2018
South African conditions have always tested touring teams, but in 2018, India had Bhuvneshwar Kumar to handle every challenge. After India faced South Africa in a T20I match, Team India ended their first innings in 203 runs. The Proteas felt the heat when they came to chase down the total.
JJ Smuts and Reeza Hendricks came to open the innings, but Bhuvi removed Smuts in just 14 runs. Coming back to attack in the 7th over, he removed captain Dumimy. Bouncing back from the early blows, Farhaan Behardien and Hendricks stitched a game-changing partnership.
But in the 18th over, he removed Hendricks in 70 runs, marking a massive breakthrough for the team. In the same over, he removed Heinrich Klaasen in 16 runs. Saving the best for last, he dismissed Chris Morris for a duck, completing a sensational five-wicket haul and sealing a 28-run victory, marking one of his finest T20I bowling performances.
2. 3/9 vs Pakistan in 2012
While fans celebrate Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s mastery in red-ball cricket, his ferocity in the shortest format cannot be ignored. The India-Pakistan encounter has always been bone-chilling, and when Bhuvi made his debut in the format against Pakistan in 2012, the world saw how a young bowler emerged as Pakistan’s worst nightmare on that day.
As Pakistan came to chase down the total of 134 runs, Bhuvi emerged as an unsolved mystery. Coming to open the spell, Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Nasir Jamshed in the very first over, putting an early blow on Pakistan.
Returning in the third over, he removed Ahmed Shehzad, claiming his second scalp and tightening India’s grip on the match. In the same over, he removed Umar Akmal on a duck and registered his third scalp. In his debut T20I, Bhuvi finished with impressive figures of 3/9 from four overs, boasting an economy rate of just 2.25.
1. 4/8 vs Sri Lanka in 2013
Throughout his career, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has turned heads, but his best performance came in the Tri-Nation innings against Sri Lanka in 2013. Despite early rain interruptions, Bhuvi unleashed a storm of wickets. Coming to defend the total, he removed Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara in successive deliveries.
Coming back to trouble again the batters, he removed Mahela Jayawardene in 11 runs and secured his third scalp. In the 9th over, Lahiru Thirimanne walked away on a duck in an exceptional delivery by Bhuvi.
Even though Team India won the match, Bhuvi’s performance remained one of the biggest highlights of the game. In six overs, he conceded just eight runs and secured four wickets with an unreal economy rate of 1.33. In Bhuvi’s illustrious career, that spell remains one of his absolute best.
