With 33 wickets, India’s pace bowler Bhuvaneshwar Kumar became the men’s Twenty20 International’s leading wicket taker in the powerplay.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered his first class game during the second of the five-match T20I series against South Africa on Sunday (June 12). In the powerplay, the veteran India bowler bowled a brilliant stint, taking three early wickets. While defending a 149-run mark, he castled Reeza Hendricks for just 4 runs in the first over.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar got rid of the quick Dwaine Pretorius in the second over of his session, scoring just four runs. Rishabh Pant trusted him to bowl the third over, and he did not disappoint his captain.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar castled Rassie van der Dussen, the star of the first T20I, for just one run in the final over of powerplay. The top pacer delivered a cracker of a delivery, pitching the ball outside off stump and it swung back in, thoroughly outclassing Van der Dussen. It landed on the top of the off-stump, putting an end to his time in the middle.
In the second T20I here on Sunday, Indian hitters struggled to get going against a tight bowling effort from South Africa, and were held to a paltry 148 for 6 on a slick Barabati pitch. India’s best scorer was Shreyas Iyer (40), while Ishan Kishan (21-ball 34) gave some early sparks, but the hosts lost momentum in the middle overs on a two-paced track. Karthik, the team’s chosen ‘finisher,’ hit two sixes and two fours to bring the score up to a respectable level (30 not out from 21 balls).