Bhuvneshwar Kumar had already done enough to be the standout performer in Raipur. Four wickets, early strikes, clever slower balls and nerveless execution at the death
It was the complete fast-bowling display. But somehow, by the end of the night, his most memorable contribution came with the bat. Because when the chase threatened to unravel for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bhuvneshwar produced the shot that changed everything — a stunning six over covers in the final over that swung the thriller decisively back towards RCB.
And oddly enough, that single hit felt bigger than the four wickets he had picked up earlier.
RCB were chasing 167 and, for most of the innings, looked steady thanks to Krunal Pandya’s fighting knock. Battling cramps for almost half his innings, Krunal dragged the chase forward with a determined 73 off 46 balls. But once he finally fell near the finish line, the pressure immediately returned.
Mumbai Indians sensed an opening.
Then came a brilliant 19th over from Jasprit Bumrah. The MI spearhead completely flipped the momentum, tightening the equation and leaving Raj Bawa to defend 15 runs in the final over. Suddenly, Mumbai looked favourites again.
But the over descended into complete madness almost instantly.
There were wides, a no-ball, mounting panic and another wicket as Romario Shepherd fell trying to force the pace. Through all the chaos, RCB somehow stayed alive.
Then Bhuvneshwar Kumar walked in.
For most of his IPL career, Bhuvneshwar’s role has been simple — win games with the ball. Big shots in tense run chases have never really been part of the script. In fact, his previous IPL six had come back in 2016, the same season he helped Sunrisers Hyderabad win the title.
Yet under immense pressure in Raipur, he played the cleanest shot of the night. Raj Bawa pitched it up outside off, and Bhuvneshwar simply freed his arms and lofted it over covers for six. No wild slog. No panic. Just perfect timing under pressure.
The reaction from the RCB dugout said everything. They knew that moment had changed the match. And it also completed one of the more unlikely all-round performances of the season.
Earlier in the chase, RCB had been in serious trouble after Virat Kohli fell for a second successive duck, followed quickly by Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar. At 39/3, Mumbai had complete control.
Krunal then rebuilt the innings patiently before attacking the spinners despite struggling physically in the closing overs. Even with cramps visibly restricting his movement, he still managed to hammer AM Ghazanfar for consecutive sixes in the 18th over.
His innings looked match-winning.
But after his dismissal, the game threatened to slip away again — until Bhuvneshwar stepped in to finish what he had started earlier with the ball.
Four wickets with the ball. One ice-cold six with the bat.
In the end, the six somehow became the moment Raipur would remember most.
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