Tonight's Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, will see Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face off against the Lucknow Super Giants.
This particular game holds a special significance for RCB and its star pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is set to achieve a major IPL milestone in this clash. As the game approached, Kumar was praised by RCB mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik, who labeled him the pacer in India after Jasprit Bumrah.
DK showers praise on Bhuvneshwar for landmark IPL appearance
Kumar, who made his IPL debut in 2011, is all set to play his 200th game in the IPL today, making him the first pace bowler in the league's history to achieve the feat. Also, he will become the 12th Indian player to play 200 or more games, joining other legends like MS Dhoni (278), Rohit Sharma (277), Virat Kohli (276), Ravindra Jadeja (264), Dinesh Karthik (257), Shikhar Dhawan (222), Ravichandran Ashwin (221), Ajinkya Rahane (207), Suresh Raina (205), Robin Uthappa (205), and Ambati Rayudu (204) as other Indians in the list.
As Bhuvneshwar Kumar gears up for his milestone appearance, RCB shared a video on their official Instagram handle in which Dinesh Karthik was seen telling head coach Andy Flower that ‘Bhuvi’ is India’s best bowler after Jasprit Bumrah.
"Bhuvi, just for the record, I'm convinced he's the best bowler India has after Bumrah even today," Karthik said. "Bhuvneshwar Kumar, he's the best T20 bowler."
Bhuvneshwar was signed by RCB in 2025 for ₹10.75 crore and was retained in 2026 for the same amount.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s impact and numbers for RCB in IPL 2026
In 2025, the 36-year-old featured in 14 games and took 17 wickets at an average of 28.41 and 9.29 economy rate. In 2026, he has played nine games so far and has already taken 17 wickets while averaging 15.53 and an economy of 7.54. Kumar is currently at the top of the Purple Cap leaderboard.