Time for Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2.0?
30-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s career has been hampered by a series of injuries in recent times. An excellent exponent of swing bowling in modern-day cricket, Bhuvneshwar, like many other bowlers, had an impressive start to his international career. On his international debut, a T20I match against Pakistan in December 2012, the Meerut-born pacer scalped three wickets while conceding just 9 runs.
The rise
On his ODI debut, Bhuvneshwar opened his account by plucking Mohammad Hafeez’s wicket on the very first ball. With his ability to achieve late swing, Bhuvneshwar was labelled as one of the finest finds of Team India in decades. After delivering impressive performances in the initial games, he went on to establish himself as a vital part of the national side. In no time, Bhuvneshwar represented India across all formats of the game.
Concealing his inefficiency to generate lethal pace with his swinging ability, Bhuvneshwar has represented India in 21 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is so far. With over 200 international wickets and being 30 years old, many believe that Bhuvi still has a few more years to offer before he draws curtains on his swing voyage.
In the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Bhuvneshwar led the Indian bowling attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah and reached the finals with the team. In the first ODI against Australia in January 2019, he ticked the 100-wicket mark as he bolstered his chances to squeeze into India’s 2019 World Cup squad. He eventually was named in the squad for the World Cup but was ruled out for many matches owing to a leg injury.
Plagued with injuries
Like several pacers, Bhuvneshwar also has had his encounters with injuries. He didn’t have a perfect start to 2020 too as he had to undergo a sports hernia surgery in January. An injury-plagued career is often associated with a pacer’s downfall in international cricket. Inconsistency and a fall in bowling speed are also associated with injuries, playing a major role in hampering a speedster’s career.
Considering the pool of India, there’s always a promising youngster awaiting his national debut. With the depth which Team India possesses, multiple young pacers like Navdeep Saini and Deepak Chahar have been delivering eye-catching performances at the biggest level. However, with ample experience and ability to swing the ball both ways, Bhuvneshwar still possesses the talent to mark his return in the national squad. And what better way than delivering in the much-awaited IPL 2020?
Time for 2.0?
Bhuvneshwar is anticipated to play a crucial role in SRH’s title heist on UAE wickets. He was also a part of India’s squad which was slated to lock horns with South Africa in the first ODI at Dharamsala. However, with the cancellation of the tour due to COVID-19 surge, there won’t be a better platform than IPL for Bhuvneshwar’s bowling comeback. He’ll be surely aiming to reinstate his position in Team India. In 2017 IPL, Bhuvneshwar had even clinched the Purple Cap for the second time in a row by scalping 27 wickets. In the previous edition, he had plucked 23 scalps.
Bhuvneshwar, in 117 IPL matches, has picked up 133 wickets at an impressive strike-rate of 19.63. Itching to prove his worth and make his presence noticeable, he’ll be entrusted by SRH to deliver the goods in this IPL edition. Bhuvneshwar’s Test return might look like a distant dream because of his injuries but he surely can inch closer towards his limited-overs comeback.
