Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bond with RCB is longer than most imagine. In 2009, he made a one-off appearance in an RCB kit for a Champions League T20 game, also marking his T20 debut. From that match, only two others survived to play this IPL: Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey.
It’s commendable for a seamer to ensure such longevity. Through his topsy-turvy career, Bhuvneshwar’s physique has largely looked similar to the wiry figure that broke out in the early 2010s. But it’s not about appearances. Today, Bhuvneshwar’s fat percentage is at 13-14 per cent. Three years ago, that number stood at nearly 20 percent.
At that point, his international career had stuttered to a stop. He had already endured back, ankle and knee injuries of serious nature. At 33, competing against the next set of white-ball fast bowlers would have been a far-off thought.
But here he is in IPL 2026 with 28 wickets, the most by an Indian bowler. A couple more, and he would have added to his double Purple Cap from 2016 & 2017.
Bhuvneshwar’s remarkable return to his gold standard has not been a single magic fix, but a story of grind and repeatability, much like his unerring bowling. He doesn’t credit motivation of any kind for it. In fact, he calls it “over-rated”. “You read some quote or watch a video and get motivated for a few days,” he recently said. “That fades away quickly. Discipline keeps me going. My physios help me remain in shape”.
In the last three years, Bhuvneshwar has put in session after session each day to target two goals: lower fat percentage, increase strength.
When he dismissed Sai Sudharsan in the final, sending down a sharp bumper that grew big on him, Bhuvi nearly touched 139 kph. He was marginally quicker when he cannoned one into the stumps of the other GT opener, Shubman Gill, just a week back. It had been over two months into the tournament, but Bhuvneshwar still had the legs to range close to 140.
Surya Yadav, Bhuvneshwar’s personal trainer, tells Cricbuzz how he’s sustained pace across this season.
“His run-up had slowed down last-to-last season,” Surya says. “We had to work on that. Injuries were one reason for it. Now, his strength has improved, his power, his jumps, his plyometrics, his throws – all have improved”.
The injuries Surya mentions – back, knee and ankle issues at various points – have all had cascading effects on his body. It could have had a devastating effect three years ago, when his main weapon, backspin, started to wane. It was caused by an inadvertent change of action.
“The body automatically modifies the action so that the load on the back doesn’t increase. He had had issues of the back. He was bowling with a more open-chested action, because his leg and hip were opening up a lot. Now, we have worked a whole year on closing his leg.
“His main weapon: his backspin, will only work if he can put force on the ball. Along with backspin, you can see his swing this season as well”.
Another feature of Bhuvneshwar’s excellence this IPL has been wobble seam, a skill not inherently associated with him. Known more for traditional inswingers or outswingers, Bhuvneshwar’s deliveries have been coming out in a straighter, smaller channel, seaming either way to confound batters, something that even Sachin Tendulkar pointed out during the final.
The ability to keep mastering his expertise, and adding newer traits, would not have been possible had injuries continued to chip away at him. As age advances, even the finest athletes need their body to comply with them.
Albeit reluctantly, he realised three years ago that lifting had to become a vital part of his training.
