Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has credited Bhuvneshwar Kumar's success in IPL 2026 to his innovative use of the 'wobbly seam' variation, which has made it challenging for batsmen to anticipate the ball's movement.
Bhuvneshwar has been instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's journey to the IPL 2026 final, claiming 26 wickets in 15 matches. Ahead of the title clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Tendulkar shed light on how the seasoned pacer has evolved his bowling this season.
Tendulkar's analysis of Bhuvneshwar's bowling
Speaking in a video posted on X, Tendulkar said, 'This season, if you look at Bhuvi's seam, I think it is a wobbly seam. So when a wobbly seam comes, a batsman often doesn't know whether the ball is going to fall out or in. And that is what Bhuvi has been doing.'
Tendulkar noted that Bhuvneshwar has shifted from relying primarily on conventional swing to bowling straighter lines while using seam movement to create doubt in the batsman's mind.
'Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been bowling really well this season. The previous season, when Bhuvi was bowling, he had a long outswinger or inswinger. He has developed this variation; it is his conscious decision, but he has been bowling as straight as possible. When a bowler wants to bowl a long outswinger or inswinger, the seam is always pointing towards the first or second slip for an outswinger. And when you want to inswing, the seam goes towards the leg slip to a right-hander. And the wrist position also changes,' he explained.
Emphasis on accuracy and control
Tendulkar also highlighted Bhuvneshwar's precision and consistency, stating that his accuracy enables him to maximize the effectiveness of the variation.
'He has been very, very accurate. If you see, his lines have been very, very tight, either off-stump or at the most towards the fourth stump. And from there, he tries to bowl a straight ball with a wobbly seam,' the 53-year-old said.
'That ball either goes out or in. So that becomes a little difficult to pick because the signal is less from the wrist. What happens in a wobbly seam is that when the seam lands one way, the ball goes out, and when it lands another way, it goes in or stays straight. So that has been Bhuvi's success mantra, I think, for this season. He has been bowling exceedingly well. Well done, Bhuvi,' he added.
Bhuvneshwar's role in the final
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will rely on Bhuvneshwar to make an early impact with the new ball when they face Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final. The fast bowler heads into the title clash with 26 wickets and remains one of the team's standout performers this season.
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