Hazlewood's 4-12, Bhuvneshwar's 3-5 demolish DC for 75 as RCB romp to 9-wicket win
Synopsis
In a demolition job that rewrote IPL history, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar dismantled Delhi Capitals for 75 — the season's lowest total — by claiming three wickets each inside the powerplay. RCB's chase was a mere formality: Padikkal and Kohli finished the job in 6.3 overs, a statement win that underlined the defending champions' ruthless form.
Key Takeaways
Josh Hazlewood took 4 for 12 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed 3 for 5 as Delhi Capitals collapsed to 75 all out on 27 April 2026 .
DC lost six wickets inside four overs , the second time this has happened in IPL history.
DC's powerplay score of 13 for 6 is now the lowest powerplay total in IPL history.
Abishek Porel's unbeaten 30 was DC's only significant contribution; no other batter reached 20 .
RCB chased down 76 in 6.3 overs with Devdutt Padikkal (34*) and Virat Kohli (23*) finishing unbeaten.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru dismantled Delhi Capitals by nine wickets in a lopsided IPL 2026 contest at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, 27 April, as pace spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar combined for six wickets inside the first four overs to reduce DC to 75 all out — the season's lowest total. Devdutt Padikkal (34 not out) and Virat Kohli (23 not out) then chased down the target in 6.3 overs, sealing the defending champions' most emphatic victory of the campaign.
The Hazlewood-Bhuvneshwar onslaught
Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar unleashed a new-ball spell of rare venom, extracting prodigious movement and bounce that resembled Test cricket more than T20. Hazlewood finished with 4 for 12, while Bhuvneshwar took 3 for 5, becoming the first pair of bowlers in IPL history to each claim three wickets inside the powerplay in the same match. DC lost six wickets inside the first four overs — only the second time this has happened in a non-rain-affected IPL game, the previous instance coming on 27 April 2011, when Kochi Tuskers Kerala collapsed to 29 for 6 against Deccan Chargers.
DC's collapse in detail
Debutant Sahil Parakh fell to a two-ball duck when Bhuvneshwar's late in-swinging yorker breached his defence. KL Rahul top-edged a short ball to the keeper, while Sameer Rizvi drove away and was caught at slip. Tristan Stubbs clipped Hazlewood for four but Bhuvneshwar found his outside edge next ball. Captain Axar Patel and Nitish Rana followed in quick succession, both caught off edges. By the end of the powerplay, DC stood at a mere 13 for 6 — the lowest powerplay score in IPL history. Impact Player Abishek Porel's unbeaten 30 off 33 was the sole bright spot; no other batter reached 20.
A brief resistance, then collapse
Porel and David Miller (19) stitched a 35-run stand off 31 balls, offering fleeting resistance. Miller fell to Rasikh Salam Dar, while Kyle Jamieson's six over mid-wicket took DC past 50 and spared them the ignominy of the lowest IPL total. Krunal Pandya then bowled Jamieson lbw, Suyash Sharma dismissed Kuldeep Yadav, and Hazlewood yorked Porel to finish the formality.
RCB's swift chase
Padikkal took charge from the start, lofting Dushmantha Chameera over long-off for six and whipping Kyle Jamieson over square leg for another maximum. Impact Player Jacob Bethell smashed Jamieson for two sixes, including a 104-metre blow, before T Natarajan's diving catch ended his 20-run cameo off 11 balls. Kohli finished the job in style, lofting Natarajan for two sixes to seal a commanding win that underlined RCB's credentials as defending champions.
Point of View
This is not a blip; it is a structural problem that will haunt their campaign.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar perform against Delhi Capitals?
Hazlewood took 4 for 12 and Bhuvneshwar claimed 3 for 5, combining to take six wickets in the first four overs. They became the first pair of bowlers in IPL history to each claim three wickets inside the powerplay in the same match, extracting prodigious movement and bounce that dismantled DC's batting order.
What was Delhi Capitals' final score and why was it so low?
Delhi Capitals scored 75 all out in 16.3 overs, the season's lowest total. The collapse was driven by Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar's devastating new-ball spell, which left DC at 13 for 6 after the powerplay — the lowest powerplay score in IPL history. Only Impact Player Abishek Porel (30) offered meaningful resistance.
How quickly did RCB chase down the target?
RCB chased down 76 in just 6.3 overs, losing only one wicket. Devdutt Padikkal (34 not out) and Virat Kohli (23 not out) finished the chase without breaking a sweat, sealing a nine-wicket victory that was as emphatic as the bowling display.
What was the significance of DC losing six wickets in four overs?
It was only the second time in IPL history that a team has lost six wickets inside the powerplay in a non-rain-affected game. The only previous occurrence came on 27 April 2011, when Kochi Tuskers Kerala slumped to 29 for 6 against Deccan Chargers — a remarkable coincidence of date and outcome.
