Senior India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s death bowling performances in recent losses has evoked large concerns for the team management.
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar remains not just India’s, but perhaps the best new-ball T20 bowler currently in the world – his dismal recent outings in the death overs while defending totals has been shambolic.
It is three games now where Bhuvneshwar’s poor 19th over has left too little to defend in the last over: in the Asia Cup, in Dubai, he was smashed for 19 runs vs Pakistan and 14 runs vs Sri Lanka in the 19th overs; then, vs Australia in Mohali, he conceded 16 runs in the 19th over and 15 runs in the 17th over as Australia chased down 209 with 4 balls to spare.
This led to widespread criticism and trolling of the 32-year-old experienced seamer. Bhuvneshwar was trolled and mocked heavily on social media following the loss to Australia.
In response to this severe trolling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s wife Nupur Nagar took to Instagram to give a strongly-worded reply to the trollers.
“Nowadays, people are so worthless, that they have nothing better to do and have so much time to spread hate and envy… My advise to all those is – nobody is affected by your words or care about your existence. So please spend that time in making yourself better, though there is very less scope for that!!” Nupur wrote in a hard-hitting Insta story.
Mrs. Kumar has something to say. pic.twitter.com/ymvljF4KVS
— ∆nkit🏏 (@CaughtAtGully) September 22, 2022
Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt lamented Kumar’s ineffectiveness in conditions which don’t offer much assistance to seamers, such as Mohali. Butt echoed the fans’ sentiments in stating that Bhuvneshwar’s quota of overs should be completed before the death overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar become predictable in the death overs
“Bhuvneshwar isn’t a bad bowler but he is a conditional bowler. When he gets movement with the new ball, he seems dangerous. But when the pitch doesn’t offer him help, he can’t defend his team’s total. I agree that he is an experienced bowler but when someone gains experience, his opponents also get to know a lot about him as his strengths get exposed too,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.
“He (Bhuvneshwar) is too predictable. He starts bowling off-stump yorkers at the end as he doesn’t have pace. Any batter will hesitate against a genuine fast bowler than a medium pacer. If India want to play Bhuvneshwar, they should use him earlier instead of using him in final overs,” he added.
Jasprit Bumrah is likely to return from the second T20I, on Friday, replacing Umesh Yadav, and with Harshal Patel in the side, Bhuvneshwar may not be needed to bowl in the death.
