Key takeaways
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 226 IPL wickets after IPL 2026, second only to Yuzvendra Chahal.
- He has played for Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad and now Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
- He won the Purple Cap in 2016 (23 wickets) and 2017 (26 wickets) for SRH.
- In IPL 2026 he took 28 wickets in 16 matches as RCB won back-to-back titles.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 226 IPL wickets after the 2026 season, the most by any fast bowler and second only to Yuzvendra Chahal. He has played for Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, won the Purple Cap in 2016 and 2017, and took 28 wickets for RCB in IPL 2026.
All IPL numbers here are as of 13 October 2026 and are counted up to the IPL 2026 final, which RCB won against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The next IPL season will start in 2027, so these figures will not change until then.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar IPL record at a glance
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| IPL wickets | 226 (after IPL 2026) |
| IPL matches | 206 |
| Career economy | 7.71 (RCB official site) |
| Best figures | 5/19 vs Kings XI Punjab, 2017 |
| Purple Caps | 2 (2016 and 2017) |
| IPL titles | 3 (2016 with SRH, 2025 and 2026 with RCB) |
| Teams | Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Current team | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
The match count is worked out from reported totals: 176 matches before the 2025 auction, 14 in 2025 and 16 in 2026.
Which IPL teams has Bhuvneshwar Kumar played for?
He has played for three franchises. RCB first signed him in 2009 for Rs 6 lakh, but he did not get a game in his first two seasons there.
1. Pune Warriors India (2011 to 2013)
Pune Warriors gave him his IPL debut in 2011. Over three seasons he took 24 wickets in 31 matches. The team struggled in this period and was later removed from the league.
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014 to 2024)
Bhuvneshwar joined SRH in 2014 and stayed for 11 seasons. This is where he became one of the best bowlers in the league. He took 18 or more wickets in each of his first four seasons with the team, won two Purple Caps and helped SRH win the 2016 title.
He left SRH as the franchise’s all-time leading wicket-taker. SRH released him before the 2025 mega auction.
3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2025 onwards)
At the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah on 25 November 2024, RCB bought him for Rs 10.75 crore after a bidding contest with Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants. His base price was Rs 2 crore. It was the highest price any team had paid for him, and it brought him back to his first franchise.
The move has paid off. RCB won the title in 2025 and 2026, and he was a key bowler in both seasons.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Purple Cap seasons
Bhuvneshwar is the only bowler to win the Purple Cap in two consecutive seasons. Only four bowlers have won it more than once: Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel and Kagiso Rabada.
IPL 2016: 23 wickets
He took 23 wickets in 17 matches for SRH, and the team won its first IPL title. He was the go-to bowler for David Warner’s side with the new ball and at the death.
IPL 2017: 26 wickets
He followed it up with 26 wickets in 2017. That season included his best IPL figures, 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab in April, when SRH won by five runs and he was player of the match.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar IPL wickets by season (key years)
A full season-by-season table from an official source was not available at the time of writing, so the table below lists only the seasons we could verify.
| Season | Team | Matches | Wickets | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 to 2013 | Pune Warriors India | 31 | 24 | Three seasons combined |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 17 | 23 | Purple Cap, SRH won title |
| 2017 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | N/A | 26 | Purple Cap, best of 5/19 |
| 2025 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 14 | 17 | RCB won title |
| 2026 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 16 | 28 | RCB won title, 2nd in Purple Cap race |
Before the 2025 auction his IPL record stood at 181 wickets in 176 matches, at an average of 27.23 and an economy of 7.56. He has added 45 wickets in two seasons with RCB.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar in IPL 2026: latest season numbers
IPL 2026 was arguably his best season. He took 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 7.95, with best figures of 4/23. He held the Purple Cap for long stretches of the season.
Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada finished one wicket ahead with 29 wickets in 17 matches, so Bhuvneshwar ended second in the race. His economy of 7.95 was much better than Rabada’s 9.68.
Milestones in IPL 2026
- 200 IPL wickets (5 April 2026): he dismissed CSK’s Ayush Mhatre at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to become the second bowler to 200 IPL wickets and the first fast bowler to get there.
- 350 T20 wickets (30 April 2026): against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, he became only the second Indian after Chahal to reach 350 wickets in all T20 cricket.
- Most IPL wickets in India: in the same match he became the first bowler to take 200 IPL wickets on Indian grounds. Our report on that record has the details.
- Qualifier 1: he took 3/28 against Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala as RCB won by 92 runs to reach the final.
- Final: he took 2/29 as RCB held Gujarat Titans to 155/8 and chased it down with two overs left. Virat Kohli made 75 not out.
He later credited RCB’s support staff for the team’s run, which we covered in this story.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar IPL timeline
- 2009: signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 6 lakh, but does not play a match in two seasons.
- 2011: makes his IPL debut for Pune Warriors India and stays three seasons.
- 2014: joins Sunrisers Hyderabad, the start of an 11-season stay.
- 2016: wins his first Purple Cap with 23 wickets as SRH lift their first IPL title.
- 2017: wins a second straight Purple Cap with 26 wickets, including 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab.
- November 2024: bought by RCB for Rs 10.75 crore at the mega auction in Jeddah.
- 2025: takes 17 wickets in 14 matches as RCB win their first IPL title.
- April 2026: reaches 200 IPL wickets, the first fast bowler to do so.
- May 2026: finishes IPL 2026 with 28 wickets as RCB defend their title.
How IPL 2026 compares with his Purple Cap years
His 2026 tally of 28 wickets was more than he managed in either Purple Cap season. The difference is that the competition was tighter, and Rabada edged him by one wicket.
| Season | Wickets | Purple Cap result |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23 | Won |
| 2017 | 26 | Won |
| 2025 | 17 | Not won (Prasidh Krishna, 25) |
| 2026 | 28 | Second (Kagiso Rabada, 29) |
The economy figure is the bigger story. In a season of very high scores, conceding under 8 runs an over across 16 matches put him among the most reliable bowlers of the tournament.
Where Bhuvneshwar ranks on the all-time IPL wickets list
According to RCB’s official website, Bhuvneshwar is second on the list of all-time IPL wicket-takers, seven wickets behind leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Sunil Narine is next with 207 wickets.
That makes him the leading fast bowler in IPL history by a clear margin. On current form, he has a real chance of challenging Chahal for the top spot in IPL 2027.
What his IPL form has done for his India career
His IPL numbers led directly to an India recall. On 6 October 2026, he was named in India’s T20I squad for the five-match series in New Zealand that begins on 22 October in Christchurch. His last match for India was in November 2022.
Since November 2022 he has taken 72 IPL wickets, the most by any bowler in that period, according to The Daily Star.
Frequently asked questions
How many IPL wickets does Bhuvneshwar Kumar have?
He has 226 IPL wickets after the IPL 2026 season, as of 13 October 2026. Only Yuzvendra Chahal has more.
Which team does Bhuvneshwar Kumar play for in IPL?
He plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. RCB bought him for Rs 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction, and he won the title with them in 2025 and 2026.
How many times has Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the Purple Cap?
Twice, in 2016 with 23 wickets and in 2017 with 26 wickets, both for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He is the only bowler to win it in back-to-back seasons.
How many wickets did Bhuvneshwar Kumar take in IPL 2026?
He took 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 7.95. He finished second in the Purple Cap race, one behind Kagiso Rabada.
What is Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s best bowling in IPL?
His best IPL figures are 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab in April 2017, playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Sources: The Tribune on the IPL 2026 final, Business Standard Purple Cap list, Deccan Chronicle on 200 IPL wickets, Royal Challengers Bengaluru official site.
