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India vs South Africa: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1 wicket away from breaking a T20I world record
Not that Bhuvneshwar needed added motivation but the fact he is on the verge of achieving a couple of big records is sure to keep him in a jovial mood heading to the must-win contest in Rajkot on Friday.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done a splendid job in leading India's pace attack against South Africa in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami - both of them rested to prepare for the England Test in Birmingham. Bhuvneshwar, who was not at his best when India toured South Africa earlier this year, made a great comeback in the West Indies and Sri Lanka home series and has carried that form into the South Africa T20Is. The right-arm seamer has taken 6 wickets so far in three matches and has looked the best bowler on display in the powerplay. India would want their most experienced pacer to continue the same when they play another do-or-die encounter against the Temba Bavuma-led side on Friday in Rajkot.
Not that Bhuvneshwar needed added motivation but the fact he is on the verge of achieving a couple of big records is sure to keep him in a jovial mood heading to the must-win contest.
Bhuvneshwar is one wicket away from climbing to the top of most wickets taken in the powerplay list. At the moment, he stands level with Samuel Badree and Tim Southee. All three of them have taken 33 wickets in powerplays so far. Bhuvneshwar, Badree and Southee also are the only three bowlers to have bowled more than 100 overs in the powerplay in T20Is. With 130 overs to his credit in the first six, the Indian seamer is at the top of that list.
In Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, Bhuvneshwar took his 64th T20I wicket, which took him a step closer to Jasprit Bumrah’s tally of 67 in the format. Bumrah has already been surpassed by Yuzvendra Chahal as India’s leading T20I wicket-taker in this series, and Bhuvneshwar will be hoping he can pass Bumrah as the leading fast bowler in the two upcoming matches of the series in Rajkot and Bangalore.
It was also Kumar’s 14th wicket against South Africa in T20Is — only two players have more, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Jordan, tied on 15. With two more wickets this series, Bhuvneshwar could become the leading wicket-taker against the Proteas, having done it at a better average and economy than the two players currently above him.
