Josh Hazlewood credited Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling acumen for steering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a dominant nine-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, 27 April 2026. Hazlewood's career-best 4 for 12 paired with Bhuvneshwar's 3 for 5 dismantled DC for just 75 — the season's lowest total — which RCB chased in 81 balls.

Hazlewood's tactical blueprint

The RCB pace spearhead revealed his strategy in the post-match interview after claiming the Player of the Match award. "I just followed Bhuvi. There was a little bit there in the first six overs," Hazlewood explained, noting the ball's unpredictable movement early in the innings. He highlighted the importance of reading pitch conditions: "Once the ball got soft, it became consistent. You want the batter to hit down the V, but I thought there was something in the wicket in that area, then I thought to hit the pitch — it was nice to see the ball hit the higher part of the bat."

Swing conditions caught DC off guard

Bhuvneshwar, who currently leads the Purple Cap race for most wickets, attributed the explosive collapse to unexpected swing bowling. "I think it is swinging this year. I don't know whether it's ball or wickets or whatever, but when the ball swings and you get a few wickets upfront, it makes it easier for us to bowl the back end of the series," the veteran said. He acknowledged DC's surprise at the pitch behaviour: "Definitely, especially the way wicket played in the last match, almost 250 plus in both innings. And yes, the way the ball swung away, it was — we were a bit surprised, and we wanted to make the most of it by taking the wickets and getting them out."

Early breakthroughs proved decisive

The opening spell proved the turning point. Bhuvneshwar revealed his tactical focus during his conversation with Hazlewood: "Yes, it was a good, good batting wicket, especially the ball, the way the ball was coming onto the bat. Yes, there was a swing, and I think it was one of the good days where you bowl it because nicking or getting bowled. So we were fortunate to get those initial wickets." The early damage forced DC into a spiral from which recovery proved impossible.

RCB's title credentials strengthening

When asked about RCB's chances of defending their title, Hazlewood expressed confidence in the team's trajectory. "It would have been nice to bowl four overs and get off the field (laughs). But we are ticking every box. We summed up conditions nicely in the away games last year, we are hitting our straps now at the right time of the tournament," he said, signalling that the franchise's preparations are aligning with the tournament's critical phase.

Bhuvneshwar's fitness management

When probed about taking an additional over, the veteran pacer prioritised recovery. "No, I wasn't saying that because it was very hot and I was tired. So I was happy with the three overs and no, didn't want to push myself, considering my age," Bhuvneshwar said, underlining the importance of workload management in a gruelling tournament format.