Bhuvneshwar sets it up early
Bhuvneshwar Kumar needed just two balls to set the tone. An inswinging yorker first up knocked over debutant Sahil Parakh, and it never really settled after that. He kept it simple, full, straight, shaping away or in and Delhi kept edging or missing.
His second came when Tristan Stubbs chased a ball he could have left. The third followed soon after, Axar Patel feathering one behind. Three wickets, minimal fuss, and Delhi were already out of the game.
Hazlewood runs through the middle
Josh Hazlewood matched that impact and then went further. He struck with his first ball, removing KL Rahul with a hurried pull. Next ball, Sameer Rizvi edged behind.
He returned later to finish the job. Abishek Porel, who had held one end, was beaten by a yorker that crashed into the base of middle stump. Hazlewood finished with four wickets, sticking to hard lengths and straight lines. This is the best bowling performance for Josh Hazlewood in the IPL history – 12/4
This was also the first time in the IPL that two bowlers picked three wickets each in the same Powerplay.
DC collapse hits historic low
At one stage, Delhi were effectively 8 for 6 in terms of recognised batters gone. Officially, it was 13/6 after six overs, the lowest Powerplay total in IPL history. It did not get much better.
David Miller and Abishek Porel tried to steady things, but it always felt delayed. Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma kept the squeeze on before Hazlewood returned to finish with four wickets. Delhi were bowled out for 75 in 16.3 overs. It should be a straightforward chase.
All RCB bowlers chipped in. Suyash Sharma got one, Krunal Pandya trapped a batter in front, and pressure never lifted.
No matter how bad this collapse is, that 49 still looks distant.
Porel fights lone battle
Porel’s 30 off 33 was the only resistance. He absorbed the pressure and picked the occasional boundary, but there was no support at the other end.
Delhi were bowled out for 75 in 16.3 overs, their lowest total of the season. It took just over 16 overs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru to wrap it up.
No matter how bad this collapse is, that 49 still looks far away. This was not about reckless hitting, it was about being outplayed by two bowlers who stuck to basics and let the pitch do the rest.