Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowler Josh Hazlewood made an instantaneous impact by claiming two wickets with the primary two balls of his opening spell against the Delhi Capitals (DC). This clinical start left the house side struggling early within the match on the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, April 27.
Taking the brand new ball alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hazlewood capitalized on the pressure created in the primary over, which had already seen DC slip to 2/1. Facing a confident KL Rahul, the Australian speedster began with a pointy, aggressive bouncer. In an unusual lapse, Rahul attempted to drag the delivery but failed to manage the shot.
The resulting top-edge flew high into the air, providing wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma with an easy catch to dismiss the opener. Josh Hazlewood struck for a second time by tempting Sameer Rizvi into an expansive drive with a large half-volley.
The uncapped batsman offered a loose attempt on the shot with minimal footwork, leading to a thick edge that was comfortably gathered by the wicketkeeper. Watch the video here:
Josh Hazlewood being so 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 👌
🎥 The #RCB seamer starts his spell sending back KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi 😮
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 27, 2026
Delhi Capitals are in a difficult situation, heading into the match after back-to-back defeats against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings.
DC collapse to eight/6 after 4 overs as Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar strike early
Delhi Capitals slumped to 7/3 after Josh Hazlewood struck within the opening over, and their troubles deepened when Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up two wickets within the very next over. The experienced seamer removed Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel in quick succession, compounding the hosts’ misery.
DC were then forced to introduce Abishek Porel as an impact player after losing five wickets throughout the first half of the powerplay. On the time of writing, they were reeling at 8/6 within the fourth over, with Hazlewood continuing his new-ball spell and claiming his third wicket.
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