Bhuvneshwar Kumar Snubs Rohit Sharma's Wicket, Picks This Moment As His Favourite From RCB vs MI Match
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was at his vintage best on Sunday night as Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off a thrilling two-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was at his vintage best on Sunday night as Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off a thrilling two-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur. The experienced pacer ripped through MI's top order, claiming four wickets to restrict them to 166/7 in 20 overs. In the chase, MI fought back strongly with the ball, taking the game right down to the final over. However, Bhuvneshwar once again rose to the occasion, displaying his composure with the bat by smashing a crucial six off Raj Angad Bawa to seal the win with four balls to spare, a result that also eliminated MI from the playoff race.
Notably, Bhuvneshwar dismissed Ryan Rickelton (2), Rohit Sharma (22), Suryakumar Yadav (0), and Tilak Varma (57). Yet, when asked about his favourite moment of the match, the pacer overlooked his four-wicket haul and instead chose the match-winning six in the final over.
"That six for sure, because I've bowled many times. I've taken few wickets before as well. But yeah, six is the thing I've enjoyed the most," Bhuvneshwar said during the post-match presentation.
"Honestly, motivation is very overrated word for me. You read some quote, you see some video and you get motivated for a few minutes and that fades away very quickly. But the thing which keeps me going is the discipline and with that, yes we have physios and trainer with the team, but I've got a physio and trainer back at home," he added.
Coming to the match, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision seemed to pay off when MI sank to 28/3 within the powerplay courtesy of a Bhuvneshwar masterclass. However, Naman Dhir (47 in 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and Tilak Varma (57 in 42, with three fours and two sixes) built the innings with an 82-run stand, taking MI to 166/7 in 20 overs.
During the chase, RCB lost Virat Kohli (0) for a second successive golden duck and eventually sank to 39/3, with Deepak Chahar (2/33) dictating the game. However, Krunal built a 55-run stand with Jacob Bethell (26 in 27 balls, with two fours) and another useful 38-run stand with Jitesh Sharma (18), reaching a brilliant counter-attacking fifty. However, Corbin Bosch (4/26) and Allah Ghazanfar (1/33) pulled off things with crucial wickets, removing Krunal as well, reducing RCB to 149/7 in 18 overs.
Romario Shepherd (4 in 11 balls) struggled against Jasprit Bumrah (0/20), leaving RCB with 12 to get in the final over. A flurry of extras from Raj Angad Bawa and a six from Bhuvneshwar helped ease the pressure despite Romario's dismissal, and RCB secured a last-ball win, with Rasikh Salam Dar (3*) hitting the winning runs.
(With ANI Inputs)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Mumbai Indians
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Rohit Sharma