Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s remarkable resurgence in red-ball cricket reached new heights as the seasoned pacer delivered a stellar performance, securing his career-best bowling figures in his comeback to first-class cricket. During the 2024 Ranji Trophy, Bhuvneshwar showcased his mastery by claiming an extraordinary 8 wickets for a mere 41 runs in 22 overs, cementing his status as the linchpin for Uttar Pradesh on Day 2.
In a gripping encounter, Uttar Pradesh faced a challenging situation after their own batting order collapsed for a paltry 60 runs in the first innings. However, Bhuvneshwar emerged as the savior, finishing Day 1 with five crucial wickets and adding three more on Day 2.
This remarkable feat marked his 13th five-wicket haul and culminated in his career-best first-class figures of 8/41. His outstanding performance played a pivotal role in dismissing a beleaguered Bengal side for 188 runs, keeping Uttar Pradesh firmly in contention.
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Bhuvneshwar’s eight-wicket haul included notable dismissals such as Sourav Paul, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Manoj Tiwary, Abishek Porel on the first day, with figures of 5/25 in 13 overs. On the second day, he continued his rampage, scalping Shreyansh Ghosh, Pradipta Pramanik, and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal to complete his fiery spell.
.@BhuviOfficial on fire 🔥
A five-wicket haul and he’s taken all 5⃣ Bengal wickets to fall so far. What a splendid spell 👌👌@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy | #UPvBEN
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/yRqgNJxmLY pic.twitter.com/Dqu0OgJMk0
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 12, 2024
The ace pacer’s absence from the Indian cricket team since November 2022 and Test cricket since 2018 made his comeback all the more spectacular. As speculation arises about a potential spot opening due to Prasidh Krishna’s reported injury, Bhuvneshwar’s eye-catching performance in domestic cricket places him in the spotlight, offering a compelling case to the selectors.
Having missed the initial Ranji Trophy match for personal reasons, Bhuvneshwar’s white-ball prowess was evident in the previous outings, where he emerged as UP’s leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps from five games.
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Despite an impressive showing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his exclusion from India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against South Africa raised eyebrows. As anticipation builds around the squad announcement for the Test series against England, Bhuvneshwar’s resounding performance demands attention and consideration from the selectors.
