Chandigarh, April 5: Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar scripted history Sunday, becoming the first fast bowler and only the second player overall to claim 200 wickets in the Indian Premier League. The landmark dismissal occurred during an IPL 2026 clash against Chennai Super Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Bhuvneshwar removed batter Ayush Mhatre to reach the double-century mark.
The right-arm seamer now joins leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who leads the all-time list with 224 wickets, in the exclusive 200-wicket bracket. Statistical records affirmed that Bhuvneshwar achieved the feat in his 192nd appearance, maintaining a career average of 27.25. He is currently followed on the leaderboard by Sunil Narine, who sits in third place with 193 scalps.
“Bhuvneshwar reached the 200-wicket milestone by getting rid of Ayush Mhatre,” officials stated while describing the dismissal. The pacer utilized a hard-length delivery outside off-stump that rose sharply, forcing a mistimed pull shot from Mhatre that was easily caught by Rajat Patidar at mid-off.
The historic bowling performance complemented a dominant display by the RCB batting unit. The defending champions posted a massive total of 250/3, fueled by a 70-run blitz from Tim David and a quick-fire 48 from skipper Rajat Patidar. Team analysts noted that the innings featured 19 sixes, with David and Patidar sharing an unbeaten 99-run partnership that effectively shifted the momentum in Bengaluru’s favor.
