Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is on the verge of creating history with a special milestone that no fast bowler has achieved in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to join special IPL club

RCB will be taking on Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Thursday, May 7, with Bhuvneshwar set to become the first-ever pacer to complete 200 appearances in IPL history.

The veteran Indian seamer will also become only the 12th player overall to reach the historic landmark, joining an elite list featuring some of the biggest names in IPL history including MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

Over the years, Bhuvneshwar has established himself as one of the most dependable bowlers in the tournament with his consistency and ability to deliver under pressure. In 199 IPL matches so far, the right-arm pacer has picked up 215 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.68 along with an average of 26.4.

Known for his ability to swing the new ball early on and execute clinical variations at the death, Bhuvneshwar has remained a constant threat across all phases of the innings. His control, accuracy and calmness in pressure situations have made him one of the finest fast bowlers the IPL has ever seen.

A couple of days ago, Bhuvneshwar Kumar also became only the second bowler in IPL history to complete 200 wickets after Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bhuvi played a key role in SRH’s title run in 2016, where he took 23 wickets with an economy of less than 7.5.

Virat Kohli heaps massive praise on Bhuvi before historic milestone

Meanwhile, ahead of the special achievement, RCB shared a special tribute video dedicated to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In the video, Virat Kohli spoke highly about the veteran pacer’s consistency and longevity in the IPL.

“It’s a huge achievement to play 200 IPL games, especially as a fast bowler. That speaks volumes about his longevity and consistency. He has played so much cricket across formats and has remained successful throughout,” Kohli said.

Kohli further praised Bhuvneshwar’s game awareness and ability to handle pressure situations over the years while calling him one of the greatest IPL pacers.

“The thing that has always stood out about Bhuvi is his understanding of the game and his cricket intelligence. He is definitely among the top three pacers in IPL history. He is someone you can rely on under pressure every single time,” he added.

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