Royal Challengers Bengaluru made significant progress into the IPL 2026 playoffs with a convincing nine-wicket victory against Delhi Capitals. RCB is now behind Punjab Kings, who have 13 points, in the standings with 12 points from eight games. With six points from eight games, DC is in seventh place. In their IPL match here on Monday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Delhi Capitals by nine wickets thanks to a powerplay spell so brutal that it all but ended the match in the first three overs.
RCB fired a devastating new-ball spell to create one of the most dramatic openers in IPL history. It was devastation of the highest kind, a powerplay onslaught so ruthless that the Delhi Capitals never fully recovered. With two brutal three-over bursts, Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) converted the powerplay into a demolition act, leaving the hosts stunned at 13 for six.
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The only players to score in double figures were David Miller (19), Kyle Jamieson (12), and Abhishek Porel (30). Eight fours and a six were scored by the home team. Delhi eventually avoided the shame of having the lowest IPL score, managing only 75 in 16.3 overs. In 2017, RCB scored 49 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. RCB openers Jacob Bethell (20) and Virat Kohli (23) made sure the game got off to a good start while chasing a modest mark.
Except for T Natarajan’s outstanding catch of Jacob Bethell off Kyle Jamieson, everything went smoothly. Delhi was quickly defeated by some strong RCB batting, with Devdutt Padikkal scoring a smooth 34. The chase was merely a formality as the two easily crossed the finish line in 6.3 overs, thanks to Kohli’s signature poise and Padikkal’s fluid strokeplay, closing off a dominant evening for the visitors.
The crowded stadium gathered to watch their favorite batsman, but a tiny target prevented Kohli from captivating his supporters. The local boy hit consecutive sixes off T Natarajan to end the game. Delhi’s descent from the dizzying high of amassing 264 in a batting spectacular that ultimately resulted in defeat against Punjab Kings was dramatic.
Relentless pressure and disciplined bowling caused the same batting unit that was full of intent to suddenly appear hesitant, brittle, and out of answers. It served as a sobering reminder of the harsh nature of the game, where confidence can go almost instantly, and supremacy can quickly give way to chaos.
Within the first three overs, Delhi was pushed to survival mode by the RCB bowlers, whose unrelenting accuracy and movement quickly made the match one-sided. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s in-dipping yorker to uproot debutant Sahil Parakh’s middle stump on the second ball of the innings set the stage for complete devastation.
Hazlewood turned what might have been a warning shot into a full-fledged collapse. Last-match centurion KL Rahul (1) and Sameer Rizvi (0) were removed off consecutive deliveries by the Australian fast, sending shockwaves through the crowded stadium. Rizvi edged a draw as he played away from his body with no discernible footwork, while Rahul mishandled one earlier.
There was no break. With total control over swing and seam, Bhuvneshwar came back to make Delhi’s suffering worse by dismissing Tristan Stubbs (5). When Stubbs attempted to jab at a length delivery, the outer edge flew safely into Devdutt Padikkal’s hands at slip. The violence peaked a few moments later. Axar Patel (0), the captain of Delhi, fell without bothering the scorers, nicking a luring outswinger behind as the home fans fell silent in shock.
The Capitals were quickly reduced to an unimaginable 8 for 5 in just three overs and then 9 for 6, a collapse so bizarre that it seemed more like a theatrical script than a sporting event. In addition to striking, the RCB pacers totally outplayed, humiliated, and decimated a batting lineup that appeared to be shell-shocked and lacking in solutions.
The hosts were dismissed at 13 for six in the Powerplay, with Nitish Rana (1) another victim of Hazlewood. Stubbs’ bat produced the only boundary. It was fitting that the Australian quickly cast Porel to conclude the Capitals’ innings.
