- By Sports desk
- Thu, 07 May 2026 07:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India batting great Virat Kohli has praised star fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar ahead of his 200th IPL appearance. The Uttar Pradesh-born pacer's milestone came during the IPL 2026 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Ekana Stadium on May 6. Bhuvneshwar, who is representing RCB, reached the 200-match landmark in the tournament.
The experienced pacer has also been in solid form this season, picking up 17 wickets so far. Overall, he remains one of the leading wicket-takers in IPL history, sitting second on the all-time list.
Virat Kohli's praise for Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Ahead of the game, RCB shared a video featuring Kohli, where he spoke highly of Bhuvneshwar’s long career and consistency.
BK15 🫂 VK18. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ro1iaxn0
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 7, 2026
“It’s a big feat to play 200 games, especially as a fast bowler; that tells you the longevity, and he’s played cricket over all these years in all kinds of formats and been such a successful bowler. He’s probably been in the top three pacers in the IPL ever," Kohli said.
Players who featured in most IPL matches
| Player | Matches | IPL Span |
|---|---|---|
| Mahendra Singh Dhoni | 278 | 2008–2025 |
| Rohit Sharma | 277 | 2008–2026 |
| Virat Kohli | 276 | 2008–2026 |
| Ravindrasinh Jadeja | 264 | 2008–2026 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 257 | 2008–2024 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 222 | 2008–2024 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 221 | 2009–2025 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 207 | 2008–2026 |
| Suresh Raina | 205 | 2008–2021 |
| Robin Uthappa | 205 | 2008–2022 |
| Ambati Rayudu | 204 | 2010–2023 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 200 | 2011–2026* |
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's IPL career
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has played 199 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 where he picked up 215 wickets and has maintained an impressive economy rate of 7.68. He represented three franchises in the tournament: Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
LSG vs RCB IPL clash
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants in their Indian Premier League match on Thursday. Lucknow Super Giants made a few changes to their playing XI due to injuries. Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan were not included in the team. They brought in Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav and Shahbaz Ahmed as replacements.