A look at the remarkable comeback of swing king “Bhuvneshwar Kumar” in IPL 2026

Known as the 'Swing King,' India's fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has completely turned around the fortunes of one of the IPL's most popular teams, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Last season, he claimed a total of 17 wickets for RCB, emerging as the team's second-most successful bowler after Josh Hazlewood (22) and played a major role in RCB's maiden IPL title campaign. And his spectacular performance continues this season as well. He has already taken 14 wickets in 8 matches so far and is currently leading the race for the Purple Cap. 

Even today, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is regarded as one of the finest new-ball bowlers in the game. Even the most formidable batsmen still struggle to counter his swing, and it is precisely this skill that has established RCB as a strong contender to defend their title this season. Bhuvi has been out of the Indian national team since the 2022 T20 World Cup. He was dropped from the squad due to a slump in form; however, Bhuvi subsequently worked tremendously hard to regain his rhythm. In the 2023 IPL, he claimed 16 wickets at an average of 8.33. Although he was unable to perform to his full potential in the 2024 IPL—managing to take only 11 wickets—Bhuvi was once again seen in his vintage form during the 2025 IPL. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is considered one of the greatest bowlers in IPL history. He is the second leading wicket taker in tournament history, claiming 212 wickets. RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik once called him India’s best bowler after Jasprit Bumrah. 

"Just for the record, I am convinced that he is the best bowler India has after Bumrah even today. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the best T20 bowler," said Karthik. 

In this season, he reminded his old avatar, especially in power-play overs. He is taking wickets constantly for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which makes it easier work for the rest of the bowlers in the middle overs. Since the 2023 IPL, he is the bowler with the most 32 wickets in the powerplay, along with Trent Boult. 

He was dropped from Team India due to a dip in his pace, but he has now regained his old form. Consequently, fans have already begun discussing his potential return to the national squad. However, making a comeback to Team India at this juncture will be anything but easy. Currently, Mohammed Shami is also striving to make his return to the team. Meanwhile, youngsters like Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, and Kartik Tyagi are also posing stiff competition to him.

Given the way Bhuvneshwar is currently playing in IPL 2026, it should come as no surprise if RCB wins its second IPL title in this edition and becomes the third franchise to win back-to-back IPL titles, after Chennai Super Kings (2010 & 2011) and Mumbai Indians (2019 & 2020).