RCB’s ₹10.75 Crore Buy Bhuvneshwar Kumar Stuns With Hat-trick in Elite BCCI Tournament

RCB’s ₹10.75 Crore Buy Bhuvneshwar Kumar Stuns With Hat-trick in Elite BCCI Tournament

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Hat-trick Secures Uttar Pradesh Victory

Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a hat-trick in the SMAT. It was sensational. His effort led to a thrilling 10-run win for Uttar Pradesh over Jharkhand at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. The Meerut-born bowler was bought by RCB for ₹10.75 crore in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. He showed his class with an exceptional bowling spell.

Defending 161, Bhuvneshwar turned the match in the 17th over. He dismissed Robin Minz, Bal Krishna, and Vivek Anand Tiwari with consecutive balls. He finished with 4-1-6-3, including a triple-wicket maiden. Jharkhand fell just short of the target. This win gave Uttar Pradesh five wins in seven matches. It was only Jharkhand’s second defeat.

Historic Milestones for Bhuvneshwar Kumar

This season has been extraordinary for Bhuvneshwar. In Uttar Pradesh’s opening match against Delhi last month, he became the first Indian pacer to take 300 T20 wickets. He surpassed Jasprit Bumrah.

Bhuvneshwar took 90 T20I wickets from 2012 to 2022. He is India’s second-highest wicket-taking pacer in the format. In the SMAT alone, he has 181 wickets in 176 matches. This cements his legacy as one of India’s top bowlers.

Abhishek Sharma Matches Fastest T20 Century by an Indian

In another amazing SMAT match, Punjab’s Abhishek Sharma tied the record for the fastest T20 century by an Indian. On Thursday, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Abhishek faced Meghalaya. He hit an unbeaten 100 off 28 balls. His explosive innings, featuring 11 sixes and 8 fours, propelled Punjab to chase down 143 in just 9.3 overs.

Abhishek reached his half-century in only 12 balls before hitting the historic ton. This ties him with Gujarat’s Urvil Patel, who scored a 28-ball century earlier in the tournament. Abhishek’s knock is just shy of the fastest T20 century. It was scored in 27 balls by Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan against Cyprus.

All-round Impact by Abhishek

Abhishek’s batting was heroic. He also bowled, taking 2 wickets for 24 runs in 4 overs. His performance marked a return to form. He had made only 149 runs in his last six innings, with just one fifty.

Punjab’s win and Abhishek’s feat heighten the excitement of this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Abhishek Sharma continue to dominate the headlines.