Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar redefined the role of the new-ball seamer in Indian cricket, trading raw pace for lethal swing that made him a captain's dream in powerplays and death overs alike. His ability to move the ball both ways at medium pace turned him into a consistent match-winner, often outshining faster, taller contemporaries.

Hailing from Meerut, he rose through the domestic ranks and made his Test debut in 2013 against Australia. His finest red-ball cricket came in England in 2014, where he took a six-wicket haul at Lord's and scored three fifties, but it was white-ball mastery that made him a fixture. He was part of India's 2013 Champions Trophy-winning squad and served as the attack's swing specialist across several World Cup campaigns.

Back and hamstring injuries limited his Test career and forced reinvention. He responded by becoming one of India's most dependable death bowlers, leaning on the knuckle ball and yorker, and finished his international run with more than 140 ODI wickets and 90 in T20Is before drifting out of the side after 2022.

In the IPL he was the face of Sunrisers Hyderabad's attack for a decade, winning the Purple Cap in 2016 and 2017 and the title in 2016, before moving to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he was part of the franchise's first championship in 2025. Known for quiet professionalism and for mentoring rookie quicks, his precise science of swing remains a benchmark for young fast bowlers in the subcontinent.