Young batters have dominated the headlines in the Indian Premier League 2026, with the Orange Cap race heating up with every passing match. However, amid all the noise, a veteran bowler, perhaps forgotten by many, has quietly announced his comeback, proving his relevance with the ball at 36, at a time when most bowlers are struggling on batter-friendly flat pitches.
Indian bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who began his journey from the streets of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and made his T20 debut for the Indian national team in 2012, has mesmerised the country with over a decade of service, defined by his perfect seam position and ability to surprise batters with swing in both directions. His mastery of the ball earned him the tag of India’s “Swing King”. However, after being a reliable presence for the country across all three formats, his last appearance in Indian colours came in a T20I against New Zealand in November 2022.
Despite being a consistent performer in the IPL, Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t quite get the recognition he deserved after falling out of the Indian setup in 2022. However, he has worked his way back into the spotlight, playing a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign on his debut for the franchise last season. Carrying that confidence into the current edition, he has been in top form, leading the Purple Cap race with 17 wickets in nine matches, while maintaining an impressive economy of 7.54 at a time when even top bowlers are struggling to keep it under 10.
Indian legend and commentator Virender Sehwag recently praised Bhuvneshwar for his sharpness this season, calling him “Vintage Bhuvi.” Sehwag highlighted how the pacer continues to evolve with the ball despite his age, standing out at a time when many bowlers are struggling to control games for their teams.
The praise followed Bhuvneshwar’s performance against the Gujarat Titans, where he tried to turn the game in his side’s favour while defending a modest total of 156. Leading the attack, he boasted figures of 3 for 28, removing key top order batters including Sai Sudharsan, skipper Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to be the best bowler in this lot. He has made 2-3 outs in the match, even today he has made 3 outs and has made the match for RCB. Sometimes I think, what is his age? If he is 35-36 years old, so what? If he is producing big performances, he should think about his comeback in the T20 format or the selectors should think about it. Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar used to have a combination, can they make that combination again? He bowls well with both new and old balls.”
“I enjoyed watching Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s old game today. I could see the sharpness in his game. He is playing against the top batters. It’s not like he is playing well against one or two good teams; he is playing against all the strong teams. I enjoyed watching him play, you can call Bhuvneshwar Kumar a vintage. You never know,” added Sehwag while speaking on Cricbuzz.
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Bhuvneshwar leading Orange Cap race
Bhuvneshwar has recently become the first Indian pacer and only the second Indian bowler to reach the milestone of 350 wickets in T20 cricket. Of those, 215 wickets have come in the IPL across nearly 200 matches, while he has also picked up 90 wickets in 87 T20Is for India.
Currently leading the Purple Cap race this season, Bhuvneshwar appears to have a point to prove to the selectors, as highlighted by Virender Sehwag. At 36, he is pushing for a spectacular comeback, proving that in modern sport, age is just a number.