Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a crushing performance that led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a commanding nine-wicket victory over the Delhi Capitals in the IPL. The match saw Delhi capitulate for just 75 runs, marking one of the lowest totals in tournament history.
Right from the start, the Delhi batting lineup struggled, with Kumar and Hazlewood taking three wickets each within the first four overs. This early assault left Delhi reeling at 8 for 6, effectively sealing their fate. Despite the crisis, the team managed to surpass the tournament’s lowest total of 49 and their own previous low of 66 runs, before being dismissed in just 16.3 overs.
Virat Kohli, playing in his home city, played a pivotal role in securing the win for Bengaluru, finishing with an unbeaten 23 runs. Kohli hit two sixes to bring an end to the innings quickly, while Devdutt Padikkal contributed 34 runs, helping the team chase down the modest target in only 6.3 overs.
Bengaluru’s record last year as IPL champions added weight to their current performance, allowing them to maintain second place in the standings, just behind the Punjab Kings. Kumar’s opening delivery set the tone, bowling out opener Sahil Parakh for a duck. Hazlewood quickly followed, dismissing KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi in consecutive balls.
Tristan Stubbs managed to avoid the hat-trick, but Kumar soon took him out, along with captain Axar Patel, both contributing to a disastrous start for Delhi. The team’s dugout was left in disbelief, especially considering they had previously scored 264 runs in a prior match on the same pitch, despite losing.
An attempt to stabilize the innings came from Abishek Porel and David Miller, who formed a partnership of 35 runs. Miller scored 19 runs before being dismissed by Rasikh Salam. A brief dust storm paused the game for about 10 minutes, only to resume with Kyle Jamieson hitting a six, bringing some relief to Delhi by surpassing their previous low total record of 49 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ultimately, however, Delhi’s innings ended when Hazlewood bowled Porel for 30 runs. Notably, the South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi sat out this match due to a concussion sustained earlier, adding to Delhi’s challenges. The day’s events highlighted the stark difference in form between the two teams, leaving a significant mark on the ongoing IPL season.