What I do throughout the year makes a difference - Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was once again clinical with his bowling discipline as his early charge against Punjab Kings left the latter's chasing ambitions in utter disarray. His double whammy saw the back of two of Punjab's fiery strikers, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya heading back to the pavilion in no time at all.

With 24 wickets in his tally, Bhuvi has been commanding the Purple Cap for now. His spells with the new ball have been a real source of trouble for oppositions throughout the tournament. Talking at the post-match presentation, Bhuvi opened up about his stringent discipline while shedding light on the insane work ethics that has been a major defining point throughout the season.

Explaining his rhythm and performance, Bhuvi said, "Look, I was in a good rhythm, of course. Getting wickets in previous matches always boosts your confidence. It’s one of the venues where the ball does something at the start and if you can make the most of it, it can be difficult for a team to chase it down or even if you’re bowling in the first innings, it gets difficult for a team to build a high score."

Reflecting on his practice of hitting the yorkers just ahead of the game, Bhuvi added, "I think it’s not about doing it before the match, but what I do throughout the year makes a difference. When you come to the IPL setup, you bowl to world-class batsmen and you nail them, so it gives you confidence that you can get it there as well. It’s not just about bowling right before the match or starting practice in the tournament, it’s about what you do throughout the year."

Underlining his partnership with Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvi stated, " It makes a big difference. The experience he has and the skill he has make a big difference for us. I think we’re complementing each other with the skills I have and he has, so it’s going well so far. But again, credit goes to Rasikh as well. I think he’s going under the radar, but the way he’s delivering under pressure in the powerplay, I think he’s doing well."

He concluded with a word about RCB's qualification in the play-offs, adding, "It feels good. I think that’s what you play for. If you can qualify in the first two, it’s of course a great thing. You can see the emotion because we have been working hard all these two months and when you qualify, it’s of course an emotional moment. Looking forward to the next matches as well."