IPL 2023: Indian Premier League is the biggest cricket tournament held every year in India. With almost every big superstar participating in this league, it becomes more difficult to perform consistently. T20 cricket is a cruel game for the bowlers because batters get the license to go after the bowling from the very first ball. That’s why it becomes more important for a bowler to have patience.
However, there have been a few bowlers who know how to handle tough situations. One such bowler who comes with a lot of experience in this game is veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvi made his IPL debut in 2011 and has played for Pune Warriors and Sunrisers Hyderabad in his career. In his IPL career, he has registered some incredible records, which are tough to break.
Records Held by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in IPL
1. Only Indian to win “Purple Cap” Twice
The “Purple Cap” award is one of the biggest awards in an IPL edition. It is given to the bowler who takes the most wickets in a season. With so many big names in a tournament, it becomes more hard to perform in such a competitive environment. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar has achieved this award twice in the IPL’s history, and he is the only Indian bowler to do so. Dwayne Bravo has also done it in 2013 and 2015. But Bhuvi is the only bowler to do it in two consecutive seasons. He took 23 wickets in 2016 and 226 wickets in 2017.”
2. Most Maiden overs by an active bowler
Bowling a maiden in a four-over spell is just about the rarest thing in T20 cricket. But some bowlers have done this regularly. Bhuvi is the only active bowler in IPL history who has bowled the most IPL maidens. In his 146-game IPL career, he has bowled 11 maidens, which is the most by an active player. Overall, he is second after Praveen Kumar (14). But by the end of his IPL career, Bhuvneshwar can certainly go up.
3. Most Wickets by an Indian Pacer
Not just maiden overs, Bhuvneshwar is among the top wicket-takers in the league’s history. In fact, he has taken the most wickets by an Indian pacer in the IPL. Bhuvi has played 146 matches so far and taken 154 wickets at an economy rate of 7.30 with a best figure of 5/15. Dwayne Bravo is the leading wicket-taker with 183 wickets. Overall, Bhuvi is 7th on the list. The second-most wickets by an Indian pacer are by Jasprit Bumrah, with 145 wickets.
4. Most Dot Balls in IPL
Bhuvneshwar is known for his swing and accuracy, which are his prime weapons against any batter. On top of that, he is also a great death bowler and a proven customer. In a t20 format, it is very limited to see bowlers bowling dot balls but Bhuvneshwar is good at it. In his IPL career, Bhuvi has bowled the most number of dot balls as compared to any other bowler. He has bowled a total of 1400 dots in the IPL’s history, while Ravi Ashwin is second with 1357 dots.
5. Most Wickets against KKR
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has performed against every IPL team in his career. But when it comes to KKR, he has done it far better than any other player. Bhuvi is the leading wicket-taker against the two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders. He has taken 30 wickets in 25 innings at an economy rate of 7.67, with a best of 3.19.