Josh Hazlewood delivered a fiery opening spell to put Royal Challengers Bengaluru firmly in control against Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2026 clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 27. The Australian pacer struck twice in his very first over, dismantling DC’s top order and setting the tone for a dominant powerplay performance.
Sharing the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hazlewood walked in with momentum already on RCB’s side after an early breakthrough. He wasted no time in making an impact, targeting an in-form KL Rahul with a sharp bouncer. Rahul attempted an aggressive response but mistimed the shot, resulting in a top edge that was comfortably taken by wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
ALSO READ: Netizens Troll Axar Patel After DC Captain’s Batting Failure Against RCB In IPL 2026
JoshHazlewood continued to apply pressure in the same over, removing Sameer Rizvi with a clever delivery outside off stump. Tempted into a loose cover drive, Rizvi failed to move his feet and edged the ball behind, handing Hazlewood his second wicket of the over.
Josh Hazlewood being so 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 👌
🎥 The #RCB seamer starts his spell sending back KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi 😮
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/HIiNNEutP0#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #DCvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/OSMRlv07PX
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 27, 2026
Delhi Capitals, already struggling with form after consecutive defeats, found themselves in deep trouble at 7/3 following Hazlewood’s opening burst. The situation worsened when Bhuvneshwar struck in the next over, dismissing Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel in quick succession.
WATCH – Bhuvneshwar Kumar Cleans Up DC Youngster With Stunning Yorker
The collapse forced DC into damage-control mode, bringing in Abishek Porel as an impact substitute. However, the damage had already been done, with the scoreboard reading a shocking 8/6 inside the first four overs.
Hazlewood’s relentless accuracy and ability to exploit early conditions highlighted RCB’s bowling strength, leaving DC with a massive task to recover from one of their worst powerplay collapses of the season.
