Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is out of the Indian team, has not been treated properly in the Indian team. Despite excellent performances in domestic matches as well as in the IPL, he was unfairly dropped from the Indian team.
Royal Challengers Bangalore won their first title in IPL 2025, with Rajat Patidar leading them for the first time in a full season. He brought many new players into his team, especially in the bowling department.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya and Yash Dayal looked like great options for RCB; However, going into the mini-auction, they are unlikely to get Yash Dayal.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar was mistreated in the Indian team” – Mohammad Kaif and RCB star
Former RCB cricketer Mohammad Kaif feels that veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not treated properly by the Indian selectors. He further said that despite his excellent record in the long run, the bowler was unfairly dropped.
Speaking in a live session on his YouTube channel, Kaif said, “According to me, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was mistreated in the Indian team. He was dropped very early. Now look at him too, he came to RCB and they became champions. He contributed there too. Questions were raised about his fitness.”
Bhuvneshwar was in high demand in the IPL 2025 mega-auction and was signed for a whopping price of Rs 10.75 crore. He then became RCB’s third highest wicket taker in the edition and took 17 wickets in 14 innings.
Mohammad Kaif said, “I think even if he gets a chance to play, he will take wickets.”
The 35-year-old Indian fast bowler is absent from the India national team from 2022 onwards as it is clear that his recent development cannot be seen further if he gets further opportunities at the highest level of the game.
He said, “A fast bowler goes through injuries at some point in his career. This is the time when you need to support him. However, he moved on from Bhuvneshwar Kumar very quickly. India still has no replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.”
He also said that the experienced Indian star will continue to play for RCB for many years to come.
The former RCB batsman said, “I think if he gets a chance to play, he will still take wickets. He doesn’t want to play Test matches because of his body and is focusing on white-ball cricket. He will play a lot of white-ball cricket. He has had his best year right now, where he played a role in RCB’s wins.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s IPL stats
Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his IPL debut in 2011 and came into limelight when he started playing for Pune Warriors India. He took 13, 20 and 18 wickets between 2013 and 2015.
He was part of SRH’s title-winning campaign in IPL 2016, where he won the Purple Cap and 23 wickets in 17 matches. The following season, he made a strong comeback taking 26 wickets in 14 matches.
Moving from SRH to Royal Challengers Bangalore, he took 17 wickets in the season, making a strong comeback and knocking on the door of 200 wickets in the IPL. He will be the first fast bowler to reach this milestone.
Also read: Mohammed Shami declared a ready fast bowler by former SRH coach
