'It is his conscious decision' - Sachin Tendulkar analyses Bhuvneshwar Kumar's prolific IPL 2026 campaign ahead of RCB vs GT final

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the leading wicket-taker for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) this season, having bagged 26 scalps from 15 matches at an economy rate of 8. The two-time Purple Cap winner can become the highest wicket-taker in the tournament if he has a memorable outing in the IPL 2026 final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.

The veteran Indian seamer will be competing with GT's Kagiso Rabada for the Purple Cap. The South African speedster has 28 wickets from 16 matches.

Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar decoded what has made Bhuvneshwar this lethal in IPL 2026. The Master Blaster said that the right-arm pacer has started using a wobbly seam, which has flummoxed opposition batters.

“This season, if you look at Bhuvi's seam, I think it is a wobbly seam. So when a wobbly seam comes, a batsman often doesn't know whether the ball is going to fall out or in. And that is what Bhuvi has been doing,” Tendulkar said in a video released on X.

The legendary cricketer added that Bhuvneshwar used to rely on the conventional outswinger and inswinger last season, but in IPL 2026, he has added subtlety to his bowling with the use of wobbly seam deliveries.

“Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been bowling really well this season. The previous season, when Bhuvi was bowling, he had a long outswinger or inswinger. He has developed this variation; it is his conscious decision, but he has been bowling as straight as possible. When a bowler wants to bowl a long outswinger or inswinger, the seam is always pointing towards the first or second slip for an outswinger. And when you want to inswing, the seam goes towards the leg slip to a right-hander. And the wrist position also changes,” he said.

Tendulkar also noted that Bhuvneshwar has been targeting the stumps a lot more, giving batters very little leeway.

“He has been very, very accurate. If you see, his lines have been very, very tight, either off-stump or at the most towards the fourth stump. And from there, he tries to bowl a straight ball with a wobbly seam,” the 53-year-old said.

“That ball either goes out or in. So that becomes a little difficult to pick because the signal is less from the wrist. What happens in a wobbly seam is that when the seam lands one way, the ball goes out, and when it lands another way, it goes in or stays straight. So that has been Bhuvi's success mantra, I think, for this season. He has been bowling exceedingly well. Well done, Bhuvi,” he added.