NEW DELHI: Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed a hat-trick to steer Uttar Pradesh to a slender 10-run victory over Jharkhand within the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group C match at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing 161 for victory, Jharkhand confirmed moments of resilience, however Bhuvneshwar’s sensible swing bowling derailed their pursuit. Bowling with the brand new ball, the Meerut-born pacer conceded simply six runs in his first three overs.
In a game-changing 17th over, Bhuvneshwar struck with a sensational hat-trick, dismissing Robin Minz, Bal Krishna, and Vivek Anand Tiwari off consecutive deliveries. He completed with exceptional figures of 4-1-6-3, making certain Jharkhand fell quick by 10 runs.
Bhuvneshwar’s efficiency caps off a historic season within the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Final month, in Uttar Pradesh’s opening match towards Delhi, he grew to become the primary Indian pacer to achieve 300 T20 wickets, surpassing Jasprit Bumrah.
Between 2012 and 2022, Bhuvneshwar accrued 90 T20I wickets, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taking pacer within the format. He has taken 181 wickets in 176 SMAT matches.
Bhuvneshwar, who has been out of the Indian staff’s plans, made headlines by becoming a member of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The franchise acquired him for Rs 10.75 crore within the IPL 2025 mega public sale, marking the top of his 11-year affiliation with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
