'One of the best bowlers India has produced': Krunal praises Bhuvneshwar after RCB beat MI
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'One of the best bowlers India has produced': Krunal praises Bhuvneshwar after RCB beat MI")
Krunal Pandya And Bhuvneshwar Kumar Photograph: (X/IPL)
RCB edged past MI by two wickets in a thrilling IPL 2026 match in Raipur, with Krunal Pandya starring with a brilliant 73 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar shining with four wickets and crucial runs in the final over. The defeat also ended MI’s hopes of reaching the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s dramatic two-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians, RCB all-rounder Krunal Pandya showered praise on veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, calling him “one of the finest bowlers India has ever produced.” Played on a challenging Raipur surface, the clash between the defending champions and five-time title winners turned into a nail-biting contest. Bhuvneshwar’s brilliant spell of 4/23 restricted MI’s batting lineup, but RCB’s chase also ran into trouble after losing three quick wickets.
Krunal held the innings together amid the collapse, while Bhuvneshwar chipped in with a valuable seven-run cameo that proved decisive in securing a last-ball win and taking RCB to the top of the table.
Speaking after the match, Krunal applauded the experienced seamer for his consistency and impact across formats over the years.
"He is one of the best bowlers India has produced. He played all formats for India for several years. It is not like he bowls in the middle overs. He bowls in powerplay, which is hard; death overs are even harder. In IPL, he has played over 200 games and has bowled at an economy rate of around seven. The way he has consistently done his job silently, he is a champion bowler," said Krunal.
Krunal also highlighted Bhuvneshwar’s crucial six during the tense chase, describing it as one of the standout moments of the game given the pressure and difficult batting conditions.
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"A lot of credit goes to him. Such games help you as a team to have that belief and bonding. We would like to see how we build from here," he added.
At the age of 36, Bhuvneshwar is wearing the Purple Cap, defying the norms of ageism and years of injuries, having taken 21 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 15.28 and an economy rate of 7.46, with best figures of 4/33.
Krunal, who played a sensational knock of 73 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes, played every role at once. Taking caution at the start, stabilising and counter-attacking, the all-rounder continues to prove his worth with the bat this season, producing one of his career's finest knocks.
The all-rounder admitted that the wicket was "tricky and two-paced" and RCB bowling first and getting to assess the wicket helped them. Krunal, who bowled three wicketless overs for 26 runs, had a plan of building an innings, with his side at 3/39 when he walked in during the 167-run chase.
With inputs from agencies
