Bhuvneshwar Kumar And...? 3 RCB Bowlers Who Can Dominate KKR In IPL 2025 Opener

Bhuvneshwar Kumar [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

India is ready for its biggest cricket festival and what a way to start things off! The season-old rivalry of RCB and KKR where the latter is mostly known to dominate the red and gold jerseys. However, IPL 2025 is a fresh start with squads revamped. 

KKR as well as RCB too has a fresh blend of experienced and talented youngsters who can be game-changers for their team. Against KKR's firepower at the top and middle, RCB requires fire breathing with the ball. Hence, let's take a look at three bowlers who will be crucial against KKR in IPL 2025.

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1) Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar enters IPL 2025 with an exceptional record against KKR, 32 wickets in 30 matches, making him one of the most successful bowlers against the franchise. His ability to generate movement with the new ball will be crucial against KKR's explosive top order.

Table - Stats of Bhuvneshwar Kumar against KKR

Notably, Bhuvi has been successful against KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane with 7 dismissals in 117 deliveries. Sunil Narine, the potential top-order pinch hitter for KKR has also fallen prey to Bhuvi two times with a 50% dot ball rate.

Table - Stats of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Powerplays in IPL

Given that Bhuvi bowls in the powerplay, he will be essential in containing KKR's top order with his effective economy rate.

2) Suyash Sharma

Young mystery spinner Suyash Sharma represents RCB's X-factor against KKR's middle order. Though relatively inexperienced at the highest level, his unique bowling style presents a challenge for batters who haven't faced him extensively.

Table - Stats of Suyash Sharma in IPL

Venkatesh Iyer, who is supposed to anchor the middle can be troubled by Suyash's quickness and prevent Iyer from getting underneath deliveries for lofted shots. Perhaps the most crucial matchup of the game could be against Russell.

Table - Andre Russell's stats against leg-break spinners

Russell's power-hitting can be neutralized by bowlers who can disguise their variations. The West Indies giant, who prefers pace on the ball and is also a bit comfortable against spinners, might face obstacles while scoring against Sharma's bowling technique.

3) Krunal Pandya

Acquired by RCB for INR 5.75 crore, Krunal Pandya brings experience to their bowling attack. His left-arm orthodox spin offers control during the middle overs and creates challenging angles for KKR's right-handed batters.

While Quinton de Kock hasn't faced Krunal for many balls, the 6 balls he faced resulted in 1 dismissal with more than 65% of dot ball rate, hinting a potential trouble for the KKR batter.

Table - Stats of Krunal Pandya

Meanwhile, Krunal's effectiveness extends beyond just taking wickets as his economy rate during middle overs will be critical in building pressure on KKR's batting lineup. His ability to bowl tight overs forces batters to take risks against other bowlers, creating wicket-taking opportunities throughout the innings.

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