Bhuvneshwar Kumar Nears 200 IPL Dismissals as Fast Bowler Milestone Beckons
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s pace attack in the IPL 2026 opener. The game is set for March 28 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The 36-year-old seamer from Meerut arrives at the match with 198 IPL wickets. He has played 190 IPL matches across three franchises.
Milestone on the line
Bhuvneshwar Kumar nears 200 IPL dismissals, with a fast bowler milestone beckoning. He needs two wickets in the opener to reach 200.
If he achieves the mark, he will become the first fast bowler in IPL history to reach 200 dismissals. The feat would join him with the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.
Teams and early years
He made his IPL debut in 2011 with Pune Warriors India. Kumar took 24 wickets in 31 matches for that side.
He later represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and now plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His last appearance for India came in 2022.
Where he stands among pacers
Below are the IPL wicket tallies for leading fast bowlers. Figures reflect their records up to March 27, 2026.
| Bowler | Teams | Matches | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | RCB, PWI, SRH | 190 | 198 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Mumbai Indians | 145 | 183 |
| Dwayne Bravo | MI, CSK, GL | 161 | 183 |
| Lasith Malinga | Mumbai Indians | 122 | 170 |
| Harshal Patel | DC, RCB, SRH, PBKS | 119 | 151 |
| Sandeep Sharma | PBKS, RR, SRH | 137 | 146 |
| Umesh Yadav | DC, GT, KKR, RCB | 148 | 144 |
| Trent Boult | KKR, SRH, DC, MI, RR | 120 | 143 |
| Mohit Sharma | CSK, DC, GT, PBKS | 120 | 134 |
| Mohammed Shami | KKR, DC, PBKS, SRH, GT | 119 | 133 |
Other wicket milestones
Only one bowler has crossed 200 IPL wickets so far. Yuzvendra Chahal has 221 wickets in 174 matches.
Chahal will represent Punjab Kings in the 2026 IPL. His total spans four franchises.
Global T20 context
The world T20 wickets record is held by Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. He has 702 wickets in 519 matches for 18 teams.
Rashid is part of the Gujarat Titans squad for the 2026 IPL season. His tally underlines his global impact in T20 cricket.
Filmogaz.com will monitor the match and Bhuvneshwar’s bid for the landmark. This story was first published and updated on March 27, 2026.
