Bhuvneshwar Kumar boasts this milestone in T20 Asia Cup: Details
What's the story
The Asia Cup, a premier cricket tournament, has witnessed some of the most talented bowlers in the game. Since its transition to T20 format in 2016, several players have made their mark. The upcoming edition in Sharjah will see India defend their title. Meanwhile, it must be noted that veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only bowler with a five-wicket haul in Men's T20 Asia Cup history. Let's revisit that historic spell.
Spell
When Bhuvneshwar tormented Afghanistan batters
The Dubai track looked brilliant to bat on as India posted 212/2 while batting first against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup. However, that wasn't the case when Afghanistan batted as pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar breathed fire with the new ball. Four of his five wickets came inside the powerplay as he finished with 5/4 in four overs. India, hence, recorded a thumping 101-run victory.
Feat
First Indian bowler with 2 T20I fifers
With this spell, Bhuvneshwar became the first Indian bowler to take two five-wicket hauls in T20 internationals. His previous five-wicket haul came against South Africa in Johannesburg back in 2018 when he had taken 5/24. Notably, this was also the first time an Indian bowler dismissed both opposition openers for ducks in a T20I innings.
Another record
Fewest runs conceded by an Indian
Bhuvneshwar registered the fewest runs conceded by an Indian bowler in the full quota of overs in men's T20Is. He gave away just four runs, eclipsing R Ashwin's record of five runs against Sri Lanka in 2016 and his own record of five runs against UAE in 2016. No other full-member team pacer has taken a T20I fifer while conceding five or fewer runs.
Bowling stars
Bhuvneshwar owns the most wickets in T20 Asia Cup
Bhuvneshwar also tops the list of wicket-takers in T20 Asia Cup history with 13 wickets from six innings at an average of 9.46 and a strike rate of 10.61. His ability to swing the ball both ways has been instrumental in India's success in this tournament. UAE's Amjad Javed and Mohammad Naveed follow him with 12 wickets.