‘Best after Bumrah!’ Dinesh Karthik’s old Bhuvneshwar Kumar verdict goes viral after MI masterclass
Dinesh Karthik's high praise for Bhuvneshwar Kumar has resurfaced after the pacer's match-winning IPL 2026 performance. Kumar's stellar 4/23 against Mumbai Indians, followed by a crucial batting cameo, has reignited calls for his T20I return, with Ravichandran Ashwin backing the 'BringBackBhuvi' campaign. He currently leads the Purple Cap race.
NEW DELHI: A video of former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik heaping massive praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar has gone viral again after the veteran pacer produced a sensational match-winning display for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026. Ahead of Bhuvneshwar’s historic 200th IPL appearance against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday, RCB had shared a behind-the-scenes clip featuring Karthik and head coach Andy Flower discussing the veteran seamer’s greatness. In the now-viral clip, Karthik made a bold statement on Bhuvneshwar’s standing in Indian cricket.
‘Best bowler India has after Bumrah’ “Just for the record, I am convinced that he is the best bowler India has after Bumrah even today. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the best T20 bowler,” Karthik said in the video shared by RCB on social media handles. The timing of the video’s resurgence could not have been more fitting.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@royalchallengers. bengaluru) On Sunday in Raipur, Bhuvneshwar delivered a vintage performance to help RCB seal a dramatic two-wicket victory over MI in a last-ball thriller. The experienced pacer dismantled Mumbai’s top order with figures of 4/23, removing Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in a devastating opening spell on a tricky surface offering movement and uneven bounce.
He then added the finishing touch with the bat, smashing a crucial six in the final over during RCB’s tense chase. Ashwin joins ‘BringBackBhuvi’ campaign Following the performance, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called for Bhuvneshwar’s return to India’s T20I setup. “Hashtag ‘BringBackBhuvi’, I’d love to see him being considered for the T20I side,” Ashwin said on JioStar.