Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar wreaked havoc as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru skittled out Delhi Capitals for 75 before romping to a nine-wicket victory in the IPL on Monday.
Kumar and Hazlewood took three wickets each in the first four overs to reduce Delhi to 8-6 and effectively end the game as a contest almost immediately.
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Delhi avoided the tournament’s lowest-ever total of 49 and also scraped past their own low of 66 before being bowled out in 16.3 overs.
“Even I don’t know what happened,” said Delhi skipper Axar Patel. “That’s why they say you have to be on your toes in cricket. We have to move on from this match.”
Bengaluru veteran and Delhi’s favourite son Virat Kohli, who was the star attraction in his home city, made an unbeaten 23 to guide the team home in just 6.3 overs.
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Kohli, who passed 9,000 IPL runs during his innings, hit two sixes to wrap up the game, with Devdutt Padikkal at the other end on 34.
Bengaluru, who won their first-ever IPL title last year, consolidated second place in the table behind leaders Punjab Kings.
Kumar bowled opener Sahil Parakh for a duck with the second ball of the match after Bengaluru elected to field first.
Hazlewood struck with successive balls in the next over as he took down previous-match centurion KL Rahul, for one, and Sameer Rizvi before Tristan Stubbs avoided the hat-trick ball.
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“I just followed Bhuvi,” said Hazlewood, who finished with figures of 4-12.
“There was a little bit there in the first six overs. It was a little bit up and down.”
Kumar dismissed Stubbs, for five, and Axar (0) in the next over to leave the Delhi dugout stunned by a disastrous batting performance on the same pitch they posted 264-2 in their previous match, albeit in a losing cause.
Abishek Porel and David Miller attempted to stop the rot in a stand of 35.
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South Africa’s Miller made 19 before he fell to Rasikh Salam.
A dust storm then halted play for around 10 minutes.
The storm settled and Delhi debutant Kyle Jamieson hit a six to send his team past Bengaluru’s record low of 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.
Jamieson’s hit over the deep square-leg fence met with loud cheers from the home crowd but their joy was short-lived.
Hazlewood bowled Porel for 30 to wrap up Delhi’s innings.
Delhi’s South African quick Lungi Ngidi missed the game after he suffered a concussion on Saturday.
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