Discarded India player makes stunning comeback with five-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy 2024 encounter

The seamer claimed a five-wicket haul on his return to first class cricket after a span of about 6 months.
 By Chandra Moulee Das Updated: Jan 12, 2024, 21:01 IST
Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Ranji Trophy?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

A veteran India pacer has produced a stellar performance with the ball in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 match between Uttar Pradesh and Bengal. The UP seamer secured a five-wicket haul upon his return to first-class cricket after a hiatus of approximately six months. Renowned for his skill in swing bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar wreaked havoc, single-handedly dismantling the Bengal batting lineup.

On the opening day of the Ranji Trophy clash, Bengal suffered the loss of five wickets, all claimed by Bhuvneshwar. By stumps, Bengal stood at 95/5, yet they managed to acquire a 35-run lead. Uttar Pradesh had a challenging day with the bat, being bundled out for a mere 60 runs while batting first.

Bhuvneshwar's exceptional performance played a crucial role in keeping his team in the game, dismissing Sourav Paul (13), Sudip Kumar Gharami (0), Anustup Majumdar (12), Manoj Tiwary (3), and Abishek Porel (12). He concluded the day with impressive figures of 5/25 in 13 overs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been missing from the India setup for sometime now

Bhuvi has been absent from the Indian cricket team for an extended period with his last appearance in November 2022. Notably, the UP pacer's last Test match was in 2018.

Bhuvneshwar, who missed the first Ranji Trophy match due to personal reasons, had a commendable performance in white-ball cricket for UP, emerging as the leading wicket-taker with 11 wickets from five games.

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Despite his notable display in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season where he claimed 16 wickets in just seven matches, the veteran pacer was overlooked for a spot in India's T20I squad for the recent South Africa and Afghanistan series.

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