Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) crushed Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 39th match of the IPL 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. After being asked to bat first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5 in 3 overs) and Josh Hazlewood (4/12 in 3.3 overs) demolished the Delhi Capitals batting line-up within the first six overs. Delhi Capitals were struggling at 13/6 after the powerplay and were eventually bowled out for 75 in 16.3 overs. Abhishek Porel was the highest scorer for Delhi Capitals. Suyash Sharma (1/7 in 4 overs) also proved economical.
In reply, RCB chased down the target comfortably in just 6.3 overs and handed Delhi Capitals a heavy defeat. Devdutt Padikkal scored a blazing 34 off just 13 deliveries, while Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 23. With this win, RCB now have 12 points, while Delhi Capitals slipped to seventh position after this loss.
RCB Bowlers Destroy Delhi Capitals Early
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood took full advantage of these conditions. They ripped through the Delhi Capitals (DC) batting line-up in the opening overs.
DC collapsed dramatically to 8 for 6. Their powerplay score was just 13 runs, which became the lowest powerplay total ever recorded in a full IPL match. At that point, DC were close to being bowled out for the lowest total in IPL history.
Lower Order Saves Some Respect
The lower-order batters showed some resistance and managed to push the total to 75. This effort helped DC avoid the embarrassment of registering the lowest total in the tournament.
In response, Royal Challengers Bengaluru comfortably chased the target. They won the match by nine wickets with 81 balls remaining. This dominant victory reduced Punjab Kings lead at the top of the table to just one point and also improved RCB’s net run rate.
A Nightmare Powerplay for Delhi Capitals
The destruction began in the very first over. Bhuvneshwar dismissed IPL debutant Sahil Parakh for a duck in just two balls. The collapse continued rapidly, ending with DC recording their lowest-ever powerplay score.
Although the pitch itself was not dangerous, it consistently offered swing and bounce. Both Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood used these conditions brilliantly. Their bowling figures in the powerplay were exceptional—Bhuvneshwar finished with 3-0-5-3 and Hazlewood with 3-0-8-3.
After the innings, Bhuvneshwar admitted that he was surprised by how long the ball continued to swing. Clearly, the DC batters were equally unprepared.
Early Wickets Trigger Collapse
Sahil Parakh, an 18-year-old making his debut ahead of Prithvi Shaw, had a tough start. DC’s director of cricket, Venugopal Rao, believes he has the potential to play for India, but his first IPL outing lasted just two balls. Bhuvneshwar first forced an edge with an outswinger and then bowled him with an inswinger.
In the next over, Hazlewood dismissed KL Rahul with a well-directed delivery that forced a top edge to the wicketkeeper, Jitesh Sharma. On the very next ball, Sameer Rizvi was out for a golden duck after edging another delivery.
Tristan Stubbs managed to survive the hat-trick ball but was dismissed soon after, again edging Bhuvneshwar.
With attacking field placements, including two slips, RCB captain Rajat Patidar kept the pressure high. When Axar Patel also edged the ball, DC were reduced to 7 for 5 in just the third over.
The situation worsened further when Hazlewood delivered a sharp rising ball that dismissed Nitish Rana. At 8 for 6, DC were completely shaken.
Even the RCB players were stunned by the collapse, with Tim David seen covering his face in disbelief.
Porel and Miller Provide Brief Relief
A short dust storm interrupted play for a while. After that, a 35-run partnership between Abhishek Porel and David Miller gave DC some stability. Porel came in as an Impact Player after the fifth wicket fell. He showed intent early by hitting a boundary over midwicket soon after the powerplay.
Miller looked comfortable against the change bowlers but was eventually dismissed for 19 off 18 balls. Interestingly, this was the first time in his long T20 career of 565 matches that he batted at number eight.
Kyle Jamieson hit the first six of the match, but he was later dismissed for 12. Porel continued to fight and scored 30 runs off 33 balls. He was the only DC batter to cross 20 runs and helped the team surpass the lowest IPL total of 49.
His innings ended when Hazlewood bowled him with a sharp yorker that crashed into the stumps.
Kohli Reaches Historic Milestone
During the chase, Virat Kohli achieved a major milestone. He became the first player in IPL history to score 9000 runs. With Phil Salt still injured, Jacob Bethell kept his place in the team and scored a quick 20 off 11 balls before getting out. Devdutt Padikkal also played aggressively, scoring 22 off just 8 balls.
By the end of the powerplay, RCB had already reached 65 for 1, making the chase very easy. Kohli then finished the match in style by hitting back-to-back sixes off T Natarajan in the next over.
This match showed how dramatically conditions can change in cricket. A pitch that produced a run-fest just days earlier turned into a bowler’s paradise. RCB’s disciplined bowling and aggressive batting ensured a one-sided victory, while DC suffered one of their worst collapses in IPL history. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!