Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Bhuvneshwar Kumar scripted a major milestone in IPL 2026, becoming only the second Indian bowler to claim 350 or more wickets in T20 cricket during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s clash against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Thursday.The veteran pacer reached the landmark in style, striking in the third over of the GT chase to dismiss Sai Sudharsan for his 350th T20 scalp. Delivering a full ball with subtle movement, Bhuvneshwar induced an outside edge that was safely pouched behind the stumps. He didn’t stop there.In his very next over, the 36-year-old removed the dangerous Shubman Gill, who was blazing away at 43 off just 18 balls. Gill drilled a length delivery hard, only to find Virat Kohli at cover, who completed a sharp catch with a fiery celebration to match.Bhuvneshwar then dismissed Jos Buttler (39 off 19) in his final over of the spell to make a stunning three-wicket haul for the night – 3 for 28 in 4 overs.
Bhuvi joins Chahal in exclusive 350-wicket club
With this feat, Bhuvneshwar joined Yuzvendra Chahal as only the second Indian bowler to cross the 350-wicket mark in T20s. Chahal currently leads the charts among Indian bowlers with 391 wickets.Other big names in the list include Jasprit Bumrah (347), Piyush Chawla (327) and Ravichandran Ashwin (317), highlighting the significance of Bhuvneshwar’s achievement.The triple strikes also propelled Bhuvneshwar to the top of the IPL 2026 Purple Cap standings, with 17 wickets in nine matches. Two more than second-placed SRH’s Eshan Malinga (15 wickets) in the race.
Most wickets by Indian bowlers in Men’s T20s
- 391 – Yuzvendra Chahal
- 352 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- 347 – Jasprit Bumrah
- 327 – Piyush Chawla
- 317 – Ravichandran Ashwin
RCB fight back after modest totalEarlier in the match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were bundled out for 155 in 19.2 overs, struggling to build partnerships against a disciplined Gujarat bowling attack.Devdutt Padikkal top-scored with 40 off 24 balls, but wickets at regular intervals pegged RCB back. Arshad Khan led the charge with three wickets, while Jason Holder and Rashid Khan chipped in with two apiece.Despite the modest total, Bhuvneshwar’s early breakthroughs injected life into the contest, giving RCB a glimmer of hope in defence.
