I Learnt How To Handle Pressure In Death Overs During My Stint With Sunrisers Hyderabad In 2014: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of the seamers India’s fast bowling edifice, built over the past two years. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has remained in India’s scheme of things alongside the likes of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, and Ishant Sharma across formats. Together with Bumrah and Shami, the 30-year old significantly contained the batsmen during death overs in white-ball cricket.

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Nevertheless, both of India’s fast bowling titans have suffered major setbacks due to injuries. Jasprit Bumrah made his comeback in January this year after sustaining an injury in September 2019 while Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an issue with his groin, having last played in December last year. Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar has disclosed the reason behind faring well at the death.

The Meerut seamer conceded that he always had the capability of bowling yorkers, but that skill faded away. It was during his tenure at Sunrisers Hyderabad at 2014 that he crafted the ability to handle the pressure that also turned out as a turning point. In 2014, the right-arm paceman took 20 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 6.66. Two years later, he won the Purple cap while Sunrisers lifted their first title.

“I always had the ability to bowl yorkers but then I lost it. At Sunrisers Hyderabad, they wanted me to bowl at the start of the innings as well as at the end. The 14 matches I played in 2014, I learnt to handle pressure and that was a turning point. I learnt new things, especially handling pressure at death bowling,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar told Deep Dasgupta in the show Cricketbaazi.

I was very motivated for the first 15 days of the lockdown: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The 30-year-old continued by revealing his activities of keeping himself fit during the present times when there is no cricket happening. Bhuvneshwar Kumar admitted that he was highly motivated during the first 15 days of lockdown; however, was beginning to lose it. Hence, he ordered some equipment and resumed training, aiming to make a strong comeback.

“I was very motivated for the first 15 days of the lockdown. No one knew how long it would last and I didn’t have any equipment to exercise at home either. We thought things would get better in a couple of months,” he said.

“But after 15 days, I started finding it difficult to motivate myself. I then ordered equipment at home and things have improved since…I am working on coming out of this lockdown as a better version of myself. On-field performance is different, but I can work on my fitness, or my athletic ability, or gaining more strength,” he added.

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