When it comes to young cricketers who aspire to bowl fast, their coaches often stress on the release of the ball, the right seam position and the right areas to pitch the ball in. However, with the passage of time, as bowlers evolve, they tend to overlook these key aspects. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one exception to this rule, and he has, therefore, evolved into a world-class swing bowler while ensuring he sticks to the basics.

His ability to wreck batting line-ups at the start of the innings is well known, but Kumar is fast learning to bowl at the death as well. On Thursday night, he clocked in an outstanding spell of swing bowling that inspired the Sunrisers Hyderabad to register their first win in the India leg of the IPL. It was vintage Bhuvi – he was getting the ball to swing under lights and kept the batsmen on their toes by mixing up his deliveries to end up with four wickets in the match.

In a post-game chat with IPLT20.com, the current Purple Cap holder spoke about his side’s away win against the Rajasthan Royals, bowling at the death and also about the importance of being patient while rolling his arm over.

Excerpts from his interview:

Your best performance this season and a win for your side – you couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Absolutely! The most satisfying thing about this performance is that it came at a time when we needed it the most. We were a bit low on confidence and this win will definitely boost us for rest of the tournament. There are still a lot of matches to go and you never know… the Sunrisers could well turn the tables.

The Sunrisers have a reputation of defending low totals. Did you back yourself tonight as well?

We have one of the best bowling line-ups in the IPL and we knew the wicket was not easy to bat on. It was a slow wicket and a turning one and we were confident that we could defend the low score. Tonight, we showed what we are known for and this will keep us in a good frame of mind for the matches to come. This performance and win will not only boost my confidence, but also the team’s morale in the tournament.

Would it be fair to say that it was a complete bowling performance by the side?

Of course! Dale Steyn and I got the team off to a good start, whereas Karn Sharma and Amit Mishra kept it tight in the middle overs, which was very crucial. Towards the death, Dale, Irfan Pathan and myself again got wickets when needed to round off a complete bowling performance by the side. Our fielding was brilliant too. The timing of David Warner’s run-out to get rid of Stuart Binny was perfect. Similarly, Irfan Pathan kept his cool to take a stunning catch to dismiss Steven Smith, which helped in turning the game in our favour. You need moments like these while defending small totals.

You are known for bowling at the start of the innings when you get maximum swing off the ball. How has Dale Steyn helped you with bowling at the death?

I am enjoying bowling with one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He is the one who always talks and shares experiences regarding the different situations in a match. Bowling at the death has been great as of now. I have been taking wickets up front and at the end as well. I am enjoying my bowling. I am glad I have been taking wickets and have been economical at the same time.

T20 is a testing format. What is the most important thing for a bowler when asked to bowl in different situations?

I think patience is the most important thing while bowling in any format of the game, be it Tests, ODIs or T20s. It is the key while bowling in different situations. And as a bowler, there will be days when you go for runs and don’t get any wickets. But one needs to realise that patience pays off, and with time, it will get you results. I feel a bowler should learn to be patient come what may.

Kris Srikkanth, in his pre-match press conference, described you as a magical bowler. He said that you are among those bowlers who can swing the ball on any wicket. You seem to have proved him right as of now.

(Smiles) Swing is my strength and I am glad that the ball is swinging the way I want. T20 is a format where wickets are important and I always look to get batsmen out. I have been economical and have gone wicketless in the past. Now, I am happy that I am economical and picking wickets at the same time.

You are wearing the Purple Cap with pride. It should motivate you to do well in the coming games.

Being a bowler, you always want to cling on to the Purple Cap. There is still a lot of cricket to be played and there are others on the list vying for the cap. All I can do is perform to the best of my abilities and try and hold on to it.