In the one-sided showdown against Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru unleashed a masterclass bowling performance, folding the Capitals for 75 in 16.3 overs. The destruction began right at the top, with the new-ball duo of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar exploiting conditions brilliantly.
Hazlewood struck with precision, finishing his opening spell with figures of 3 wickets for 5 runs. At the other end, Bhuvneshwar was on fire, picking up three wickets for 6 runs in his three overs. Both reduced Delhi to an astonishing 13/6 — the lowest powerplay total ever recorded in the history of the Indian Premier League. Speaking after the match, RCB captain Rajat Patidar expressed surprise with the way the wicket played.
"Even I'm surprised the way the wicket played. All credit goes to the bowlers. The way they've bowled, especially in the powerplay, Hazelwood and Bhuvi, I think the way they hit those areas and got that bit of swing earlier, that was tremendous to see. I think the swing was normal, and the good thing was we got early wickets, and that's why it kept us in the driving seat," Patidar said after the match.
DC's highly talented batters KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel failed to deal with RCB's belligerent bowling attack, crashing to a nine-wicket defeat. Meanwhile, DC captain Axar Patel lauded the incredible spell from RCB bowlers.
"They are world-class bowlers. They swing the ball and have done it at every ground. Yes, I think if our openers or one-down batters had batted one or two more overs, it could have been a different score or a different match. Credit to them for the way they bowled," Axar said.