From swing king to finisher: Why Bhuvneshwar Kumar is RCB’s biggest weapon this season

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the 36-year-old pacer, is the Purple Cap holder in IPL 2026, but it was the last-over six against Raj Bawa and the Mumbai Indians on Sunday that he will remember for a long. Bhuvneshwar's six came at the most opportune time as Royal Challengers Bengaluru were still in need of nine runs from the last three balls.

Bawa went for a wide yorker with RCB under the pump, but Bhuvneshwar, who had taken 4 for 23 earlier, got under it excellently to hit a six over deep-cover. As a result, MI were knocked out of the IPL 2026, while RCB are at the top with 14 points from 11 matches.

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Bhuvneshwar's match-winning six

When asked by Harsha Bhogle after the match on what he would remember the most -- the four-wicket haul in the last-ball thriller or the match-winning six -- it was no surprise that Bhuvneshwar went with the latter.

"Six, for sure, because I've bowled [well] many times before, I've taken a few wickets as well. But yeah, this is the thing I enjoyed the most," Bhuvneshwar said after the match.

Bhuvneshwar was helped by the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium two-paced pitch in Raipur as he took three wickets in powerplay, dismissing Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.

The MI batter found it tough to get Bhuvi away as Rickelton was caught at mid-off, Rohit was caught behind and SKY was caught at first slip.

"I was being proactive [against Rohit]," he said. "I was thinking Rohit might step out because he has played me that way in the past. SKY [Suryakumar] was new to the crease. So I wanted to bowl the normal length ball, and it worked."

With 21 wickets in 11 matches, Bhuvneshwar has a firm grip of Purple Cap for now, and his efficiency has been amazing. The RCB pacer has an economy rate of 7 in powerplay and 7.83 at the death, the best for a bowler who has bowled a minimum of 50 deliveries in IPL 2026.

And Bhuvneshwar, who last played for India in November 2022, credits his discipline for staying in prime.

"Honestly, motivation is a very overrated word for me," Bhuvneshwar said. "You read some quote, you watch some video, and you get motivated for a few minutes. But that fades away very quickly. The thing that keeps me going is discipline.

"Yes, there are physios and trainers with the team, but I've got a physio and a trainer back at home. They work hard with me as well. They help me to stay in shape, so yeah, credit goes to them as well."

Will Bhuvneshwar return to Team India?

Some credit also goes to the UP T20 League and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches.

"The good thing is that throughout the year, I'm getting enough match practice to stay in touch and enough breaks to recharge myself, bring back the strength. I play the UP T20 and the Mushtaq Ali, and that's enough practice for me to be in touch," Bhuvneshwar added.

"Of course when the IPL comes, there is a different [kind of] practice, because the level in the Mushtaq Ali and the UP T20 is probably different. So when I come back to the IPL, we have the camp, and I do whatever I need to."

While it was Josh Hazlewood last year for defending champions RCB, Bhuvneshwar appears to be the key to winning a second consecutive title in 2026. Will his good form also bring him back into the Indian team? Well, that looks tough, but you never know.