Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra lavished praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar after Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered a convincing nine-wicket win against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on Monday.

Kumar returned with unbelievable figures of 3-5 in three overs, he bowled to play a key role in bundling out the opposition at 75. The veteran pacer clean bowled debutant Sahil Parakh with an inswinging yorker in the first over of the innings. The swing bowler from Uttar Pradesh also accounted for in-form Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel.

“The guy has tenacity. If I ask you to prepare a good specimen of a T20 fast bowler, it will be enjoyable if he has a speed of 150 kph, because then he has extra pace, and you cannot buy that in the supermarket, or else he should have bounce for sure, like Josh Hazlewood or Jofra Archer,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

“Otherwise, he should have a precise yorker like Lasith Malinga’s round-arm yorker or Jasprit Bumrah’s BrahMos. Along with that, he should have a Dwayne Bravo, Jasprit Bumrah or Lasith Malinga-type slower one. Then only you can be so successful, or else you are bound to get hit in T20 cricket. Bhuvi says you are wrong as he has been relevant and successful for the last 13-14 years,” he added.

The renowned commentator said the UP pacer makes the most of his strengths and delivers consistently for the franchise.

“He is this tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker. Neither does he bowl at ultra-fast speeds, nor is he tall, and so he doesn’t get too much bounce. He does not have an incredible slower one or a yorker. He has everything in small capacities, and he knows how to make the best use of it, and that makes him so special,” he observed.

Kumar has scalped 14 wickets in eight matches of the ongoing IPL 2026 at an average of 16.85 and an economy rate of 7.61. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Thursday.