Table of Contents
Bhuvneshwar Kumar shares a few photos after his second successful IPL campaign. In total, the pacer now has two IPL trophies under his belt. He could have won the purple cap as well with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2026, but missed by only one wicket.
While Kumar tried to shed some light on his achievements in the league, it was his RCB teammate Devdutt Padikkal who added a bit of glee to the post, though with a comment on Instagram.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved class is permanent
Kumar was among the most lethal bowlers in the entire IPL 2026 season. The pacer, who is now 36, emerged as one of the best in the business with his ability to swing the ball in both ways and control on line and length. He concluded the season with 28 wickets from 16 matches and an economy rate of 7.95 only.
Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada claimed the purple cap for taking the most wickets in this season. The South African bowler bagged 29 scalps in 17 games, one more than Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and won the individual title.
GT's Kagiso Rabada claimed the Purple Cap by one wicket margin
In the Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2026 final match, Kagiso Rabada leaked 44 runs in 3 overs but dismissed Devdutt Padikkal from the crease. That wicket of Padikkal caused Bhuvneshwar to lose the purple cap.
Devdutt Padikkal's comment on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's post 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/x7AuMGlvj0
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 3, 2026
“Sorry Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) bhai for the cap being missing,” Padikkal comments in Kumar’s Instagram post on June 3. During the writing of the article, this comment has gained 6416 likes already, as most of the cricket fans find it hilarious.
View this post on Instagram
Bhuvneshwar Kumar won his maiden IPL championship with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2016. As usual, with his venomous swings and well-controlled bowling, he played a pivotal role behind the team’s triumph. Bhuvneshwar finished the 2016 season as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament, claiming 23 wickets and earning the prestigious Purple Cap.
A decade ago, Bhuvneshwar was against RCB in another IPL final
In the 2016 final, Sunrisers Hyderabad was up against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. It was a high-scoring contest at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli started the run chase brilliantly in the second innings. Maintaining a strike rate of 200.00, Gayle scored 76 off 38, while Virat claimed a well-composed 54 off 35.
When the opening pair of RCB was in the middle, the contest was looking one-sided. But as soon as both Gayle and Kohli departed, Bengaluru’s batting order collapsed. In reply to SRH’s 208 runs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru got 200 runs in 20 overs and ended the season as the second-best of the tournament.
In that summit clash, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, then the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler, did not take any wickets, but did not allow the opposing batters to score runs with open arms. In his four-over spell, the seamer offered only 25 runs and maintained an economy rate of 6.25. In 2016, Kumar had both the IPL trophy and the purple cap.
A decade later, he could have repeated the same if he had snatched one more wicket on his journey in the IPL 2026 season.
Read More: Rajat Patidar reveals secret behind dominating Rashid, Narine and Varun in IPL
