New Delhi [India], Feb 5: For some reason, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gives an impression to be a player from the by-gone era. Calm and composed, without tattoos, he has this good boy kind of image and perception attached to him. But this soft-spoken Meerut born good boy can be ignored at one’s own peril. He has been making rapid strides where it matters i.e. on the cricket field. Since his debut in 2012, he has slowly but surely made a name for himself. One of his best series as a player was the England tour in 2014 when he took 19 wickets (with two five-wicket hauls) and scored 247 runs (with three fifties). He was India’s lone star in an otherwise forgettable tour and won the man of the series award for his efforts.

Apart from his wicket-taking abilities, he has been an economical bowler as suggested by his under 5 economy rate in ODIs. Even in the IPL, his economy rate is just over 7, which is very good by T20 standards. He is also the sixth highest all-time wicket taker (111 wickets in 90 matches) in IPL’s history. Not surprisingly, he has been the proud holder of the Purple Cap (given to the highest wicket-taker in IPL) over the last two seasons. On his 28th birthday, I wish him a very happy birthday and hope that 2018 is the year that defines him as a cricketer.