Would not strive for extra pace at the expense of swing, says Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has claimed the most number of wickets in the IPL this season, with 16 wickets in seven innings, thereby is the holder of the Purple Cap. Bhuvi, in a recent interview, stated vehemently that he would not compromise on his swing in order to attain extra pace.

He also attributed his hard-work at the nets for his ability to hit the yorkers consistently. The UP pacer added that the practice off the pitch helps during the crunch situation of the matches.

“How you practice in nets matters a lot. If you bowl good yorkers in nets and come up with good variation, it helps your on-field performance,” said the 27-year according to Times of India. He further cited out that even though he increased his pace in the recent series against South Africa, he had to sacrifice his swing which gave him an important lesson regarding his bowling.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar now believes he is being street-smart about the use of both the qualities in his arsenal.”In the series against South Africa, my pace had increased but the swing was compromised. But this was a turning point for me as I realised that no matter how fast you are, you cannot afford to lose the swing. I worked on this aspect and now I am happy that I have both the speed and swing in my bowling,” remarked the Sunrisers pacer.

Bhuvi commented that his bowling is entirely dependent on the format and he emphasises on the process of the game rather than the related results. He was boastful about the fact that reverse swing was added to his arsenal recently, which he used a lot in the Test matches recently.

“I think in T20 things are related to pressure and if you handle it well you are on top of your game. I think about the process and not too much about results, Depending on the format, if I am playing a Test match then reverse swing is something I always want to work on. When I made my debut I was not a reverse swing bowler or my pace was not what it is now,” remarked the Indian international.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will feature next for Sunrisers match up against the Kings XI Punjab at Mohali tomorrow.