After his disciplined first two overs, Bhuvneshwar ended up conceding 29 runs in his last two overs.
In a thrilling Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) quarter-final between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, former RCB player Anuj Rawat took on RCB’s IPL 2025 recruit Bhuvneshwar Kumar in an impressive batting performance at the stadium Chinnaswamy.
Anuj, who was released by RCB before the auction, was picked up by the Gujarat Titans for INR 30 lakh. Meanwhile, RCB acquired Bhuvneshwar Kumar for INR 10.75 crore.
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Anuj Rawat’s brutal assault on Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the SMAT quarterfinals
Bhuvneshwar Kumar started his spell well, conceding just five runs in his first two overs. However, when he bowled again in the death overs, Anuj and Ayush Badoni were at the crease, with Delhi sitting comfortably at 150/2 in the 16th over.
On his first delivery of the 17th over, Anuj bowls Bhuvneshwar over deep mid-wicket for a six, marking the beginning of his aggressive assault.
The aggression continued till the 19th over, with Anuj smashing three fours in the first, third and fifth balls, amassing 15 runs in Bhuvneshwar’s over.
After his disciplined first two overs, Bhuvneshwar ended up conceding 29 runs in his last two, with Anuj scoring most of the runs. It was a complete turnaround for the Gujarat Titans batsman, who handled Bhuvneshwar’s experience with ease.
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Familiar terrain for both players
The Chinnaswamy stadium has sentimental value for both the players. It will be Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s home ground in IPL 2025, where he will represent RCB. On the other hand, this place was Anuj’s home during his stay at RCB. Despite the emotional connection for both players, it was Anuj who had the last word, producing a match-winning performance for Delhi with an unbeaten 73 off just 33 balls, including 7 fours and 5 sixes, at a strike rate of 221, 21.
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