Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The rising star

It appears that we have got a good swing bowler this time around. Since ages, Indian cricket has been desperately looking for an effective swing bowler. Prior to this, Kapil Dev was the only established pacer who was able to get good swing. The other alternative that comes to mind is Zaheer Khan, who achieved swing to some extent. But that is the bygone era. Today, the subject matter is the origin of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is moving fast on the way to become a bowling sensation.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Mavi is a right arm medium fast bowler and a handy right hand batsman. He is going to fit in as a good all-rounder, especially as Yuvraj is out of the side. He will be a very handy option for the long run. He is just 23 years old, and already playing for UP since 2007-2008. During 2009-2010, he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, and in 2011, he joined Pune Warriors.

He got his first break in a T20 match against Pakistan, when Parwinder Awana could not deliver. Kumar got noticed immediately when he grabbed 3 important Pakistani wickets for just 9 runs in 4 overs, which was brilliant bowling on debut. Also, debuting proved lucky for Kumar, as he snapped his first ODI wicket off his very first ball.

As far as batting goes, Kumar played a very crucial and impressive innings in a 140-run partnership with Dhoni in 2013 against Australia. This was his very first Test match and he made 38 valuable runs off 97 balls, for which he received a standing ovation from the crowd, while playing at number 10! After this it was amply clear that Kumar had marked a place in the squad.

Many fans believe that the upcoming tour of South Africa will decide the future for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but I personally feel that this will provide him a platform to showcase his capabilities. Every cricket lover knows jolly well that the pitches in South Africa are more fruitful for Ishant or Yadav compared to Bhuvneshwar, as the latter does not rely on pace. But he has got a perfect line and length which might prove vital.

Also, no one can really judge an upcoming bowler in such a short time. I do not hesitate to say that even if he is able to strike at a reasonably good rate, we will have to give him at least one year time to allow him to prove his abilities. I am a believer, so I do not see why Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not going to be an all-rounder who is going to mark his presence in an equally strong manner with the ball as the bat. It may be too early to make a statement like that, but let time decide.

Even in today’s crucial semi final against Sri Lanka, he conceded just 18 runs from 9 overs and also got a wicket. This surely underlines his growing importance in the Indian team. Hope to see him delivering in the final too! India might have just found another gem!