Stats: Bhuvneshwar Kumar becomes joint-highest wicket-taking pacer in IPL, levels with Dwayne Bravo

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has registered himself in the elite list of leading wicket-takers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history with 183 wickets. He is the third-ranked Indian on the list after Yuzvendra Chahal (206), and Piyush Chawla (192). The 35-year-old bowler has equaled Dwayne Bravo, who is the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of the league, to become the joint-highest wicket-taking pacer in the IPL.

Bhuvneshwar was one wicket away from the milestone before the Gujarat Titans (GT) game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday, April 2. Playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) this season, Bhuvneshwar claimed a single wicket in the previous game. The bowler dismissed GT captain Shubman Gill (14 off 14) to achieve the feat.

Meanwhile, the visitors were just outstanding with the bat as they chased down the target of 170 runs in just 17.5 overs with eight wickets to spare. RCB suffered their first loss of the season despite playing at their home ground.

The team lost early wickets, leaving the middle-order under pressure. Liam Livingstone's half-century helped them put up a fighting total on the board. However, Sai Sudharsan (49 off 36) and Jos Buttler (73* off 39) had different plans. Sudharsan started off late, but once he was settled, he attacked the bowlers with his proper cricketing shots.

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Sherfane Rutherford's (30* off 18) quick cameo helped quicken the path to victory. The home team was clueless about the kind of batting that happened in Bengaluru. The GT batters silenced the crowd and humbled the hosts with their excellent performance.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar accepted that they were some 20-30 runs short in the first innings, leading to their defeat. Moreover, he was positive about the game since the middle-order batters took up the responsibility and played well. This will help them in the upcoming games, as depending on the top order isn't always the best idea.