Kamal Ghorui
Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar etched his name further into IPL history during the crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur, equalling Yuzvendra Chahal’s long-standing record for the most wickets against KKR in the tournament.The veteran seamer picked up his 33rd wicket against Kolkata Knight Riders, drawing level with Chahal at the top of the all-time list. Bhuvneshwar reached the landmark with an economy rate of 8.01 against the franchise, underlining his remarkable consistency over the years against KKR’s batting line-up.
Most wickets vs KKR in IPL history:33 — Bhuvneshwar Kumar33 — Yuzvendra Chahal25 — Jasprit Bumrah25 — Ravindra Jadeja24 — Ravichandran AshwinBhuvneshwar achieved the feat after dismissing Finn Allen early in the innings during KKR’s rain-delayed encounter against RCB. The New Zealand batter had started aggressively, smashing 14 runs in Jacob Duffy’s over after Ajinkya Rahane had survived a tight opening over.However, Bhuvneshwar once again proved why he remains one of the most dangerous powerplay bowlers in IPL history. He got Allen caught behind with a delivery that shaped away from the batter, handing RCB a crucial breakthrough and simultaneously equalling Chahal’s record.The wicket also continued Bhuvneshwar’s outstanding season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he has formed a deadly new-ball partnership alongside Josh Hazlewood. The duo has consistently troubled opposition batters in the powerplay and played a major role in RCB’s strong campaign this year.Despite the early wickets, Kolkata Knight Riders recovered brilliantly through young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who produced the best innings of his IPL career. The 21-year-old smashed a superb 71 off 46 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes while anchoring the innings after KKR had slipped to 56 for two at the end of the powerplay.Raghuvanshi stitched together an important 68-run stand with Cameron Green, who contributed 32 from 24 deliveries, before adding another 76 runs alongside the in-form Rinku Singh.Rinku narrowly missed out on a half-century, finishing unbeaten on 49 off 29 balls with three fours and two sixes. The left-hander continued his excellent run of form after already registering two unbeaten fifties in his previous four matches.The match itself began after a delay of more than an hour because of rain and a wet outfield in Raipur. RCB captain Rajat Patidar chose to bowl first expecting help for the seamers, although conditions did not offer the same level of movement seen in the previous game at the venue.While KKR managed to post a strong total of 192 for four, the night also belonged to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who added another milestone to his glittering IPL career by joining Chahal atop the elite list of bowlers with the most wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.
