Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir accused of treating RCB’s IPL winner unfairly
Table of Contents
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels the out-of-favour Indian pacer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has not been treated rightly in the Indian team. He was unfairly dropped from the Indian team despite his stellar performances in domestic games as well as the IPL.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden title in IPL 2025, with Rajat Patidar leading them for the first time in a full season. They brought in several new players to their side, especially in the bowling department.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, and Yash Dayal seemed stunning options for the RCB; however, going into the mini-auction, they are unlikely to have Yash Dayal.
"Bhuvneshwar Kumar was treated unfairly in the Indian team" - Mohammad Kaif n RCB star
Former RCB cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels the veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not treated right by the Indian selectors. He further opined that the bowler was unfairly dropped despite his great record in the long run.
"According to me, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was treated unfairly in the Indian team. He was dropped very early. Look at him now, too, he came to RCB, and they became the champions. He contributed there, too. Questions were raised about his fitness," said Kaif while speaking in a live session on his YouTube channel.
Bhuvneshwar was in great demand at the IPL 2025 mega-auction and was signed for a whopping INR 10.75 crores. He then went on to be RCB's third-highest wicket-taker in the edition and bagged 17 wickets from 14 innings.
"I feel that if he gets a chance to play, he will still pick up wickets," said Mohammad Kaif
The 35-year-old out-of-favour Indian pacer has remained absent from India's national team since 2022, as it remains clear that he might not be seen any further in a recent development if he gets any more opportunities at the highest level of the game.
"A fast bowler will go through injuries at some point in his career. That is the time when you need to back him. However, they moved on from Bhuvneshwar Kumar very quickly. India still doesn't have a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar," he added.
He also stated that the seasoned Indian star will continue to play for RCB for many years to come.
"I feel that if he gets a chance to play, he will still pick up wickets. He doesn't want to play Test matches because of his body and has been focusing on white-ball cricket. He will play a lot of white-ball cricket. He just had his best year, where he played a role in RCB's victory," said the former RCB batter.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's IPL Stats
Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his debut in the IPL back in 2011, as he started playing for the Pune Warriors India, when he got the limelight. He picked 13, 20, and 18 wickets between 2013 and 2015.
He was part of SRH's title-winning campaign in IPL 2016, where he finished with a purple cap and 23 wickets in 17 games. The next season, he came back stronger with 26 wickets in 14 matches.
Moving from SRH to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he picked 17 wickets in the season, staging a strong comeback and knocking on the door of 200 wickets in the IPL. He would be the first pacer to reach the milestone.
ALSO READ: Mohammed Shami declared a finished pacer by ex-SRH coach
Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Royal Challengers Bangalore Bhuvneshwar Kumar Mohammad Kaif Royal Challengers Benglauru
