Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru turned into one of the most successful chapters of his Indian Premier League career. But the veteran Indian fast bowler has confessed that he was surprised when RCB secured his services at the IPL 2025 mega auction, especially as Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants had already shown strong interest in him during the bidding process.
RCB had to spend Rs 10.75 crore to bring Bhuvneshwar into their team. Over the next two seasons the investment produced huge returns with the pacer becoming part of the team’s bowling attack. According to the details in the report, Bhuvneshwar took 17 wickets in IPL 2025 and also produced an even better campaign in 2026 with 28 wickets.
The veteran pacer was not sitting in front of a television watching the auction when his name came up. He was in the middle of his Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy commitments while captaining Uttar Pradesh. His attention was therefore divided between his team's match and the developments taking place at the IPL auction.
Bhuvneshwar had already received some indication that several franchises were interested in signing him. The former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori had told him teams were waiting for his name to come up. SRH were also interested in keeping or acquiring his services, but their budget and squad dynamics eventually prevented them from completing the move.
“When the auction started on the first day, I was told by Daniel Vettori that a few teams were waiting for me. SRH wanted me, but due to dynamics and budget, they could not get me,” Bhuvneshwar said in an interview with Jatin Sapru.
When Bhuvneshwar’s name finally appeared on the second day of the auction, the bidding immediately became competitive. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants were involved. The bowler was only able to see a brief glimpse of the auction as Uttar Pradesh were preparing to take the field.
He recalled watching the bidding when it had reached around Rs 5-6 crore before he had to leave for the match. The bidding, however, continued well beyond that figure. RCB eventually came out stronger and secured Bhuvneshwar’s services for Rs 10.75 crore after a long bidding battle.
RCB call came as a surprise
Bhuvneshwar did not know which franchise had successfully purchased him. Once he had left to concentrate on the Uttar Pradesh game, someone told him that RCB had secured his services.
The result was somewhat of a surprise to the fast bowler because Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants had been involved in the bidding earlier. But Bhuvneshwar was relieved and welcomed the chance to join a team with one of the largest fan bases in the IPL.
And the move brought him back to a franchise associated with the beginning of his IPL career. His first stint with RCB was short-lived, only making one appearance for the team in the Champions League T20. Years later, his return would be far more significant.
Two Seasons, Two IPL Titles
Bhuvneshwar’s impact was immediate. He took 17 wickets during RCB’s title-winning 2025 campaign and 28 wickets in 2026. In those two seasons he took 45 wickets in 30 IPL games, according to the figures.
RCB’s success made the move even more significant. The franchise finally ended its long wait for an IPL championship in 2025 and then successfully defended its title in 2026. Bhuvneshwar was one of the experienced players contributing to the team’s bowling unit during that time.
Despite the pressure of RCB’s long wait for an IPL trophy, Bhuvneshwar said the atmosphere inside the dressing room was relatively relaxed. The team, he said, wanted to win but didn’t allow the pressure of previous seasons to dominate its preparation.
“And when I met the staff, everybody wanted to win, but they had a simple philosophy: if we win, it would be great but if not, it’s just one more year. We were excited and prepared, but we were also relaxed,” he said.
That approach appeared to make the squad an environment in which players could concentrate on their actual roles and not keep thinking about the history of the franchise.
For Bhuvneshwar, the entire episode is another example of how quickly an auction can change a player’s plans. Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants were interested in him, and SRH also wanted him too. But it was RCB that ultimately made the decisive bid.
What initially left Bhuvneshwar “a bit surprised” eventually became a very productive partnership. His experience, consistency and ability to contribute with the ball helped to make RCB’s bowling attack better, and the franchise provided him another opportunity to compete for the IPL title.
This veteran pacer’s story also underscores the unpredictable nature of an IPL auction. Players may know which franchises are interested in them, but the final destination can change in minutes as bidding strategies, budgets and squad needs play out.
For Bhuvneshwar, the final twist took him back to RCB and ended up with two championship-winning seasons. What was an unexpected auction result turned into a very important chapter in the fast bowler’s IPL career and RCB’s success in recent times.
