Team success over individual milestones: Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s mindset despite Purple Cap in IPL 2026

Seasoned Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar said he has reached a stage in his career where team success takes precedence over individual milestones.

The 36-year-old, who is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, returned figures of 3 for 28, his fifth three-wicket haul of the season, in RCB’s four-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans, taking him to the top of the bowling chart.

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While the performance earned him the Purple Cap, Bhuvneshwar downplayed its significance, emphasising a shift in priorities that comes with experience.

“It’s good that I got the Purple Cap. But I think I have come out of that time where I want to achieve something individually,” Bhuvneshwar said at the post-match press conference.

“Of course, I want to achieve something, but now it’s more of a team. I’m not young anymore. Of course, when you’re young, you want to win those awards, and it comes when you do well.

“But when you want to work towards the team’s goal, and you get an individual award or reward, you feel good. But honestly, I’m just trying my best. Getting confidence from the management. That’s all I can say,” he added.

RCB suffer batting collapse in low-scoring outing

Put in to bat, RCB endured a rare batting collapse and were bowled out for 155, a total that proved insufficient in a tournament dominated by high-scoring chases.

‘Chasing has been easier this season’: Bhuvneshwar

Bhuvneshwar acknowledged that chasing has become easier this season across venues.

“If you look at this IPL, chasing is a bit easier in any ground because the way wicket behaves and dew comes. So, yes, it could be different.

“But yeah, we didn’t win the toss. We were asked to bat first. We tried our best in bowling. So now the result is that we lost. That’s all.”

RCB’s bowling strategy focused on taking wickets

Defending a modest total, Bhuvneshwar said RCB’s strategy was to attack and take wickets rather than contain runs.

“If you look at the scenario, there was some help for seamers, and we had Romario (Shepeherd), third seamer. So, we wanted to take a chance.

“And Suyash (Sharma) is someone who is not easy to pick. So, we wanted to get wickets as quick as possible. So, that’s the reason he didn’t bowl.

“We couldn’t have won the match by defending runs. We could have won by taking wickets, and the bowlers who bowled were the best bowlers to get those wickets,” he added.

Off day with the bat, but long tournament ahead

He also admitted that the batting unit, featuring the likes of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David and skipper Rajat Patidar, had an off day.

“Look it’s a long tournament 14 matches. You cannot be perfect in each and every match in any department the way we have batted in the whole tournament it’s been good we have scored 200 we have scored more than 200.

“I think it’s about complementing each other yes we were not up to the mark with the bat it happens. I mean sometimes we give 200 runs but batsmen never complains they go and chase it out so it was our duty to try our best and then we did what we could.”