Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, has been a vital member of the team and is poised to have an incredible career.
As his side plays Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening IPL 2024 encounter on Saturday, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a quick bowler who joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014, is poised to have an amazing career. To become the first Indian bowler to reach the milestone for a single team in the league, Bhuvneshwar needs just four wickets to reach 150 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Only two players have taken 150 wickets for a single side in the Indian Premier League (IPL) thus far: Lasith Malinga of the Mumbai Indians and Sunil Narine of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
As Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, the two biggest additions to the IPL, square off, attention will be on Shreyas Iyer’s recovery from a protracted injury layoff.
The Indian batter returns to head KKR, who have added some strategic players while retaining the core of the team, after missing the full season due to a back ailment last year.
With his recent 95-run innings in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy victory, Shreyas looked impressive at the bat, but it’s unclear if he’ll be healthy for every game.
Gautam Gambhir, the most successful captain of KKR, comes returned for a second stint as an advisor. Their comeback will depend on his collaboration with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a cunning strategist in the Indian circuit.
Gambhir has been advised by team principle owner Shah Rukh Khan, “This is your franchise, make it or break it.” From 2011 to 2017, KKR enjoyed an incredible run led by the former Indian cricket player. They won two IPL titles, made it to five playoffs, and finished second in the now-defunct Champions League T20 competition.
With KKR having signed the marquee player of this IPL season, Starc, for a record-breaking Rs 24.75 crore, the left-arm fast will have a lot of pressure to produce.
The crucial moments will be during his power play and death overs. As the only two seasoned pacers in KKR’s lineup, Starc and Andre Russell will need to monitor their workload carefully because there are no like-for-like substitutes.
