In a format where batters have largely dictated terms, especially in the Indian Premier League, which has seen a surge in 200-plus totals since the arrival of the Impact Sub rule, Royal Challengers Bengaluru served a very different script at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday as Delhi Capitals crashed to an all-time IPL low.
Seeking revenge against Delhi, the only side to beat RCB in their previous four matches, the visitors opted to bowl first, and the fast-bowling pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood justified that decision immediately.
Bhuvneshwar was right on the money in the opening over. His first ball was an outswinger to debutant Sahil Parakh that took the outside edge and rolled towards Hazlewood at short third. The very next delivery was a rip-roaring inswinging yorker that crashed into middle stump. Parakh could do little against what was an unplayable ball as his debut ended in a duck.
After Bhuvneshwar removed the rookie, Hazlewood struck twice in two balls in the next over. He first dismissed in-form KL Rahul with a 141.4 kph short ball on the stumps that cramped the batter for room. Rahul’s top edge was safely taken by wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma, ending his stay for just one run, only days after his record 152 not out.
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On the next ball, Hazlewood went fuller and wider outside off, and Sameer Rizvi threw his hands at it, only to nick behind for a golden duck. Tristan Stubbs survived the hat-trick ball but did not last long enough to revive Delhi. Chasing a wide delivery from Bhuvneshwar in the following over, he edged straight to slip.
Three balls later, Bhuvneshwar found another outside edge with late movement to dismiss Axar Patel as Delhi slumped to 7 for 5 in just 2.4 overs. It was the earliest any team had ever lost five wickets in an IPL innings.
Delhi’s misery did not end there. Hazlewood struck again with the new ball, removing Nitish Rana in the fourth over, as the hosts crawled to just 13 runs at the end of the powerplay — the lowest six-over total in IPL history.
The seven runs scored by Delhi’s top six was also the second-lowest combined contribution by a top order in IPL history, behind the four managed by Kochi Tuskers Kerala against Deccan Chargers in Kochi in 2011.