Veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has revealed that he was surprised when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bought him for Rs 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Bhuvneshwar, who went on to play a key role in RCB’s back-to-back IPL title-winning campaigns, recalled that he was not even able to follow the entire bidding process because he was preparing to play a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Uttar Pradesh.
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Speaking about the auction in an interview with Jatin Sapru, Bhuvneshwar said Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori had told him before the auction that several franchises were interested in signing him. However, SRH eventually could not secure his services because of their budget and auction dynamics.
“When my name came up, Mushtaq Ali was going on, and I was captaining UP. We were just getting into the ground, and our video analyst was watching the auction. I took a peek,” Bhuvneshwar recalled.
According to the pacer, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants were among the teams involved in the early bidding. The price quickly climbed, but Bhuvneshwar had to leave before the bidding concluded as the match was about to begin.
“I remember MI and LSG had started the bidding. When it went to Rs 5 or 6 crores, I had to go as the umpires had started entering the ground,” he said.
A few overs into the match, Bhuvneshwar received the news that RCB had secured his services for Rs 10.75 crore.
“Someone came in after a few overs and told me that RCB had picked me. I was a bit surprised, because two other teams were bidding earlier,” he said.
Despite his surprise, Bhuvneshwar said he was happy to join RCB, particularly because of the franchise’s huge fan following.
The move proved significant for both the player and the franchise. Bhuvneshwar became an important part of RCB’s bowling attack and delivered a strong campaign despite being in his mid-30s.
He picked up 28 wickets during IPL 2026 as RCB successfully defended their title. The franchise had ended its long wait for an IPL championship in 2025 before winning the trophy again in 2026.
Bhuvneshwar also explained that the team did not put excessive pressure on itself to end its 17-year wait for an IPL title when he arrived.
“When I met the staff, everyone 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.
The pacer had an earlier association with RCB at the beginning of his IPL career, although he played only once for the franchise in the Champions League T20.
His return to Bengaluru has since produced impressive numbers. Across IPL 2025 and 2026, Bhuvneshwar claimed 45 wickets in 30 matches, playing a significant role in RCB’s consecutive title-winning seasons.
At 36, the veteran continues to remain an influential figure in the franchise’s bowling attack, with his experience and ability to deliver in different phases of an innings proving valuable.
What began with Bhuvneshwar barely watching his own auction bidding has ultimately turned into a highly successful second stint with RCB, including two IPL championships in successive seasons.
