Bhuvneshwar Kumar of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar created history during the encounter with Lucknow Super Giants by becoming the first fast bowler to complete 200 matches in IPL history. This milestone added another major achievement to Bhuvneshwar’s remarkable T20 career. Earlier this season, he also became the first pacer and only the second player after Yuzvendra Chahal to complete 200 IPL wickets. The veteran seamer has continued his excellent form in IPL 2026 and currently leads the Purple Cap standings with 17 wickets in nine matches. Talking about the milestone, Bhuvneshwar said that reaching 200 IPL appearances was a proud moment in his career. “It’s really special. Any milestone is, really, and to play 200 matches is a huge achievement in itself. So, naturally, I feel very happy,” Bhuvneshwar said. He also admitted that achieving this feat with a successful franchise gave him even more satisfaction. “I think the best part is that I’m doing it with a team that won the trophy last year and is playing exceptionally well this season; that makes it even better,” he added. Reflecting on his long IPL journey, the swing bowler chose his first ever IPL wicket as the most memorable moment of his career. “It’s very difficult to pick just one but if I had to absolutely name something special I would pick my debut goal. My journey started so many years ago and that very first goal is always something special,” he said. Bhuvneshwar also opened up on the challenges of surviving as a fast bowler in modern T20 cricket, especially with the batsmen’s increasingly aggressive approach during the over. “It’s definitely been challenging, especially with the way the format itself has evolved. With the way batsmen change and the aggressive approach they take in the powerplay, it’s always a tough challenge to keep improving your game,” he explained. However, the veteran attributed his success to sticking to the basics throughout his career. “I believe what has worked for me personally is a consistent focus on strengthening my fundamentals,” he added. With this achievement, Bhuvneshwar also joined the elite list of players who have featured in 200 or more IPL matches, becoming only the 12th cricketer overall to achieve this milestone.PlayerSpanMatchesMS Dhoni2008–present278Rohit Sharma2008–present277Virat Kohli2008–present276Ravindra Jadeja2008–present264Dinesh Karthik2008–2024257Shikhar Dhawan2008–Ravicran Ashwin2009–2025221Ajinkya Rahane2008–present207 Suresh Raina2008–2021205 Robin Uthappa2008–2022205 Ambati Rayudu2010–2023204 Bhuvneshwar– Kumar2011
