Bhuvneshwar Kumar was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Rs 10.75 crore at the IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. His base price was Rs 2 crore.

He began his IPL journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Bangalore) in 2009 but didn’t get a chance to play during his two-season stint. A move to now-defunct Pune Warriors followed, but his three seasons there were largely forgettable. However, his fortunes changed in 2014 when he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad.

There, he quickly established himself as a vital cog in the team, excelling both in the PowerPlay and at the death. In each of his first four seasons with the franchise, he consistently took over 18 wickets. He clinched the Purple Cap (awarded to highest wicket-taker each season) in consecutive years, 2016 and 2017, and played a pivotal role in Sunrisers’ maiden IPL title triumph in 2016.

Although he remains Sunrisers Hyderabad’s all-time leading wicket-taker, he was released ahead of this year’s mega auction.