Key takeaways
- Bhuvneshwar has 294 international wickets: 63 in Tests, 141 in ODIs and 90 in T20Is.
- His best figures are 6/82 in Tests, 5/42 in ODIs and 5/4 in T20Is.
- He was the first Indian bowler to take five-wicket hauls in all three formats.
- He has 226 IPL wickets, the most by any fast bowler, after IPL 2026.
- He was recalled to India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series in October 2026.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 294 international wickets for India: 63 in 21 Tests, 141 in 121 ODIs and 90 in 87 T20Is. His best figures are 6/82 in Tests, 5/42 in ODIs and 5/4 in T20Is, and he was the first Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in all three formats.
These numbers are as of 13 October 2026 and count every match up to his last international game, the T20I against New Zealand at Napier on 22 November 2022. He has not played for India since, though he has now been recalled for the T20I series in New Zealand that starts on 22 October 2026. IPL figures are counted up to the IPL 2026 final.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar career stats at a glance
Bhuvneshwar, born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, made his India debut in a T20I against Pakistan on 25 December 2012. He played his first ODI five days later, also against Pakistan, and his first Test against Australia in February 2013.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Average | Best | 5-wkt hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (2013 to 2018) | 21 | 63 | 26.09 | 6/82 | 4 |
| ODIs (2012 to 2022) | 121 | 141 | 35.11 | 5/42 | 1 |
| T20Is (2012 to 2022) | 87 | 90 | 23.10 | 5/4 | 2 |
| IPL (2011 to 2026) | 206 | 226 | N/A | 5/19 | N/A |
His best match figures in Tests are 8/96. With the bat he was more useful than most tailenders, and he scored 552 Test runs at an average of 22.08.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Test record
Bhuvneshwar played 21 Tests between February 2013 and January 2018. His last Test was against South Africa in Johannesburg, which ended on 24 January 2018. In that short Test career he took 63 wickets at 26.09, with four five-wicket hauls.
His Test bowling was built on swing with the new ball and a tight line. He rarely leaked runs, with a Test economy of under 3 runs an over according to ESPNcricinfo. Injuries and the rise of faster bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami kept him out of the Test side after 2018.
Four Test five-wicket hauls
- 5/82 vs England, Trent Bridge, July 2014: his first Test five-for, on a flat pitch in the first Test of the series.
- 6/82 vs England, Lord’s, July 2014: his career-best figures. India won the Test by 95 runs.
- 5/33 vs West Indies, Gros Islet, August 2016: taken in the third Test of India’s tour of the Caribbean.
- 5/48 vs New Zealand, Eden Gardens, September 2016: a five-for in Kolkata, where India won by 178 runs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar ODI record
Bhuvneshwar played 121 ODIs between December 2012 and January 2022 and took 141 wickets at 35.11. His last ODI was against South Africa on 21 January 2022. He was part of India’s pace attack at the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups.
His only ODI five-wicket haul came against Sri Lanka in Colombo in September 2017. He returned figures of 5/42 to hold Sri Lanka to 238, and India chased the target with six wickets in hand.
In ODIs his value was mostly early wickets. He swung the ball both ways in the first 10 overs and often bowled the tough overs at the death too.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar T20I record
T20Is were his strongest international format. In 87 matches he took 90 wickets at an average of 23.10, with two five-wicket hauls. His last T20I was against New Zealand at Napier in November 2022.
In March 2021 he was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month. At the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE, he was the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 11 wickets.
Two T20I five-wicket hauls
- 5/24 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, February 2018: India made 203 and he bowled South Africa out of the chase. India won by 28 runs.
- 5/4 vs Afghanistan, Dubai, September 2022: five wickets for four runs in his four overs at the Asia Cup, and India won by 101 runs.
Best bowling spells of Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Here are the spells that defined his career, picked from his verified records across formats.
1. 6/82 vs England at Lord’s (2014)
This is still his best Test bowling. On a Lord’s pitch that helped seam bowling, he moved the ball both ways and India went on to win by 95 runs, one of their rare Test wins at the venue.
Why it matters: it showed a medium pacer could lead an Indian attack in English conditions.
2. 5/4 vs Afghanistan in Dubai (2022)
Four overs, four runs, five wickets. Afghanistan never recovered after his opening burst at the 2022 Asia Cup, and India won the match comfortably.
Why it matters: it is his best return in any format and came in his final months as an India regular.
3. 5/24 vs South Africa in Johannesburg (2018)
Defending 203, he took five wickets to keep South Africa to 175. It helped India win the series opener in Johannesburg.
Why it matters: it made him the first Indian to take five-fors in all three international formats.
4. 5/42 vs Sri Lanka in Colombo (2017)
Brought back after missing the previous game, he took his only ODI five-for to restrict Sri Lanka to 238. India won by six wickets.
Why it matters: it completed the set of five-fors in Tests and ODIs before he added the T20I one.
5. 5/19 vs Kings XI Punjab in the IPL (2017)
For Sunrisers Hyderabad in April 2017, he took 5/19 in four overs, mostly at the death, and SRH won by five runs. He was player of the match and went on to win his second Purple Cap that season.
Why it matters: it is one of the most famous death-overs spells in IPL history.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar IPL and T20 stats
In the IPL, Bhuvneshwar has played for Pune Warriors India (2011 to 2013), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014 to 2024) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2025 onwards). He was first signed by RCB in 2009 but did not play a game for them then.
After IPL 2026, he has 226 IPL wickets, the most by any fast bowler, according to RCB’s official website. On 5 April 2026, against Chennai Super Kings, he became only the second bowler after Yuzvendra Chahal to reach 200 IPL wickets. He won the Purple Cap in 2016 (23 wickets) and 2017 (26 wickets).
His last two seasons have been among his best. He took 17 wickets in 2025 and 28 wickets in 16 matches in 2026 at an economy of 7.95, as RCB won back-to-back titles. Read our full report on his IPL record in India.
Across all T20 cricket, he became only the second Indian bowler after Chahal to reach 350 wickets, a mark he crossed on 30 April 2026 against Gujarat Titans.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s India comeback in 2026
On 6 October 2026, the selectors named Bhuvneshwar in India’s 16-member T20I squad for the five-match series in New Zealand, almost four years after his last India game. Shreyas Iyer leads the side. The series begins on 22 October in Christchurch and ends on 1 November in Hamilton.
Reports linked the recall to his IPL form. Since November 2022 he has taken 72 IPL wickets, the most by any bowler in that period, according to The Daily Star. He is 36 now. The pacer has spoken openly about his career, including his biggest regret, and his family celebrated the call-up, as seen in wife Nupur Nagar’s post.
If he plays in New Zealand, his T20I numbers in the table above will change. The Test and ODI figures are unlikely to move soon, as he has not been part of those squads since 2018 and 2022.
What makes his numbers stand out
- Economy: he has always been hard to score off, in Tests and in the IPL.
- Swing at the start: most of his wickets in white-ball cricket come with the new ball.
- Longevity: his 28 wickets in IPL 2026, at 36, were his best tally in a single season.
- Firsts: first Indian with five-fors in all three formats and first fast bowler to 200 IPL wickets.
Frequently asked questions
How many international wickets does Bhuvneshwar Kumar have?
He has 294 international wickets: 63 in Tests, 141 in ODIs and 90 in T20Is. These figures are as of 13 October 2026, up to his last India game in November 2022.
What is Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s best bowling in T20Is?
His best is 5/4 against Afghanistan at the 2022 Asia Cup in Dubai, from four overs.
Is Bhuvneshwar Kumar the first Indian to take five wickets in all formats?
Yes. He completed the set with 5/24 against South Africa in a T20I in February 2018, having already taken five-fors in Tests and ODIs.
When did Bhuvneshwar Kumar last play for India?
His last international match was a T20I against New Zealand at Napier on 22 November 2022. He has been recalled for the T20I series in New Zealand starting 22 October 2026.
How many IPL wickets does Bhuvneshwar Kumar have?
He has 226 IPL wickets after the 2026 season, second only to Yuzvendra Chahal on the all-time list.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo player profile, The Daily Star on his India recall, The Tribune on 350 T20 wickets, Royal Challengers Bengaluru official site.
