Bhuvneshwar Kumar wreaked havoc against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 61st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Bhuvneshwar gave two big blows to PBKS who were chasing the target of 223 runs in the afternoon match played in Dharamshala on Sunday (May 17). He got Priyansh Arya (0) caught by Romario Shepherd on his third ball and then in the next over, he pushed PBKS on the backfoot by walking Prabhsimran Singh.
36-year-old Bhuvneshwar, who is leading in terms of taking wickets in IPL 2026, has achieved a big feat by taking the wickets of both the openers of PBKS. He has become the Indian bowler taking the most wickets in a single IPL season after the age of 35. He left behind legends like Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble. Nehra took 22 wickets in the 2015 season, while Kumble took 21 wickets in the 2009 season. Bhuvneshwar has taken 24 wickets in the current season.
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Tahir’s record on target of Bhuvneshwar
Imran Tahir holds the record of taking most wickets in IPL after the age of 35. This South African leg spinner took 26 wickets while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 season. Bhuvneshwar is just 3 steps away from finishing ahead of him. Till the time of writing the news, Bhuneshwar had bowled only 2 overs in the innings of PBKS. He can get closer to Tahir’s record by the time he completes his spell.
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Most wickets in an IPL season after the age of 35
- Imran Tahir – 26 wickets (2019)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 24 wickets (2026)
- Ashish Nehra – 22 wickets (2015)
- Trent Boult – 22 wickets (2025)
- Anil Kumble – 21 wickets (2009)
RCB is standing on the threshold of playoffs
In the match, PBKS won the toss and invited Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to bat first. RCB made a good start thanks to the innings of Virat Kohli (58 runs in 37 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (45 runs in 25 balls). After this, Venkatesh Iyer (73 not out in 40 balls) and Tim David (28 not out in 12 balls) batted brilliantly and took the team to a strong score of 222 runs. In reply, Bhuvneshwar gave double blow to PBKS who came to bat. After Bhuvneshwar, Rasikh Salam Dar and Romario Shepherd increased the problems for PBKS.
While chasing the target of 223 runs, PBKS could score only 80 runs after losing 4 wickets in 9 overs. He is in danger of losing his sixth consecutive match. If RCB wins, it will enter the playoffs and secure its place in the top-2.
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