Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has written his name in the record books by becoming the first pacer in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to reach the milestone of 200 wickets. The veteran achieved the feat on Sunday, April 5, 2026, when RCB took on Chennai Super Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Bhuvneshwar entered the match with 199 wickets and dismissed CSK opener Ayush Mhatre in the second half of the run to reach the top. He finished with three wickets, playing a key role in RCB’s 43-run win. The crowd and his teammates celebrated the moment as the 36-year-old added another chapter to his illustrious career.
Work Stability and Longevity
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is only the second player overall to cross 200 wickets in the IPL, joining leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who leads the charts with 224 wickets. The Indian right-arm fast bowler is known for his control of expectations and ability to spin the ball in both directions, Bhuvneshwar made his IPL debut in 2011 and later starred for Sunrisers Hyderabad, regularly winning the Purple Caps in 2016 and 2017, the only football player to do so consecutively.
Kumar was released by SRH ahead of IPL 2025 followed by a return to RCB for ₹10.75 crore and was instrumental in their title-winning campaign with 17 wickets.
Best Wicket Takers in IPL
- Yuzvendra Chahal – 224 wickets (176 matches)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 202 wickets (192 matches)
- Sunil Narine – 193 wickets (191 matches)
- Piyush Chawla – 192 wickets (192 matches)
- Ravichandran Ashwin – 187 wickets (221 matches)
In the absence of Australian Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar has taken charge of RCB’s bowling unit. In this season Kumar has taken 4 wickets in two matches. He is just one wicket behind Ravi Bishnoi (RR), Vijaykumar Vyshak (PBKS) and his teammate Jacob Duffy (RCB), who have taken 5 wickets each.
READ MORE: IPL 2026: SRH becomes first team to win this season, defeating KKR by 65 runs
