NEW DELHI: Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed a hat-trick to lead Uttar Pradesh to a narrow 10-run victory over Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group C match at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing 161 for victory, Jharkhand showed moments of resilience, but Bhuvneshwar’s brilliant swing bowling derailed their pursuit. Bowling with the new ball, the Meerut-born pacer conceded just six runs in his first three overs.
In a game-changing 17th over, Bhuvneshwar struck with a sensational hat-trick, dismissing Robin Minz, Bal Krishna, and Vivek Anand Tiwari off consecutive deliveries. He finished with remarkable figures of 4-1-6-3, ensuring Jharkhand fell short by 10 runs.
Bhuvneshwar’s performance caps off a historic season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Last month, in Uttar Pradesh’s opening match against Delhi, he became the first Indian pacer to reach 300 T20 wickets, surpassing Jasprit Bumrah.
Between 2012 and 2022, Bhuvneshwar accumulated 90 T20I wickets, making him India’s second-highest wicket-taking pacer in the format. He has taken 181 wickets in 176 SMAT matches.
Bhuvneshwar, who has been out of the Indian team’s plans, made headlines by joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The franchise acquired him for Rs 10.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, marking the end of his 11-year association with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
