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Royal Challengers Bangalore’s veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked one of the finest death over specialists to tackle a scenario where the opposition has to chase 50 runs in the last five overs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are in the final of the IPL 2026 edition, and one of the best performers has been veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvi has not only taken his best wickets this season, but his economy in key situations has also been exceptional.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 26 wickets in 15 matches this season, and his best bowling has come especially towards the end of the innings. He has emerged as an expert in death overs.
Bhuvi supported the legendary IPL spinner for the first over while chasing the target of 50 runs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was asked to select one of the best five active bowlers to see if he would be tasked with defending just 50 runs in the last five overs. The experienced fast bowler showed every bit of his experience in picking the best in the business.
Chasing just 50 runs, a good start was needed in the last five overs and hence, Bhuvi called on Kolkata Knight Riders’ veteran spinner Sunil Narine for the 16th over of the game. He will be perfect to bowl the first over and put initial pressure on the team chasing the target.
Sunil Narine has had an economy of just 6.50 throughout his career in the IPL and hence, he is perfect to bowl in these conditions. In a hypothetical scenario, he would not concede more than 6 runs in an over.
Australian team prepared for Bhuvi’s specialist death overs attack
The next two bowlers in Bhuvneshwar’s attack are two of Australia’s most legendary fast bowlers. RCB teammate Josh Hazlewood was handed the 17th over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who felt the runs still needed to be curbed.
Hazlewood is accurate with his yorkers and is very economical in the death overs. After two silent overs, the batsmen will need to take advantage of some of the bowlers and Mitchell Starc is the perfect bowler to set up in those conditions.
Mitchell Starc may not be one of the most economical, yet he is one of the greatest strike bowlers in the world and is often the best to step up in these conditions. Any team needs wickets at the back end to defend such a score.
SRH fast bowler, not Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was chosen to bowl the 20th over in challenging conditions.
Bhuvneshwar chose the world’s greatest death over specialist Jasprit Bumrah for the 19th over of the game. He didn’t even think twice before making the choice, because just one bad season can’t take away the glory from Bumrah’s career.
Backed by the huge combination, Bhuvneshwar could have chosen to complete the final over of the scenario himself; However, he chose Sunrisers Hyderabad fast bowler Ishan Malinga for the role. Malinga has bowled excellently in these scenarios, as he has defended small scores, been economical, and has also taken a number of wickets in the recent ongoing season of the IPL.
50 runs needed in last 5 overs
Which 5 active bowlers will Bhuvneshwar Kumar choose to bowl one over each?
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– Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 30, 2026
Also Read: Virat Kohli vs Shubman Gill at Narendra Modi Stadium: Complete comparison of batting stats ahead of IPL 2026 final
