First couple of years I didn't realise pace is something that needs to be added, says Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar

NEW DELHI: India and SunRisers Hyderabad pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke into the scene as a swing bowler. But over the years, he has also improved on his pace and that has made him all the more dangerous as batsmen find it a little more difficult to take him on.

The fast bowler has revealed that he didn't realise the need to add pace to his bowling in the first few years of his journey.

In a video posted on SunRisers Hyderabad's official Twitter handle, Bhuvneshwar said: "To be honest, first couple of years I didn't realise pace is something that needs to be added. As I kept playing, I realised with swing I need to improve my pace because bowling in late 120kph or just 130kph, batsmen were adjusting to the swing. So, I wanted to increase the pace, but I didn't know how to do it. That was the general trend to train hard and spend time in the gym.

"Fortunately, I was able to improve the pace and that really helped me in the later stages. So yes, when you have pace, not the express 140-plus, but bowling in the mid-130kph helps maintaining that swing and keep the batsman guessing."

While Bhuvneshwar missed the bus for the upcoming World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton and the five-match Test series against England, he has made it clear that he is keen to make a comeback to the red-ball squad. "There have been articles about me not wanting to play Test cricket. Just to clarify, I have always prepared myself for all three formats irrespective of the team selection and will continue to do the same. Suggestion - please don't write your assumptions based on "sources"!" he wrote on Twitter.

Even though he is not part of the Test tour to England, he is expected to play the limited-overs series that has been planned against Sri Lanka with an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup.