Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood Shine in RCB's Dominant IPL Victory
RCB's Bowling Brilliance Against Delhi Capitals
In a recent IPL match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood showcased exceptional pace bowling, leaving a significant mark against the Delhi Capitals (DC) during the powerplay. Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn praised this duo, along with Kagiso Rabada and Jofra Archer, for instilling 'genuine fear' in batters, despite the high-scoring nature of this IPL season. Their effective use of hard lengths has proven challenging for batters, who often do not practice enough in these areas.
Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood expertly tested the DC lineup by varying their lengths and targeting the outside off-stump line, resulting in a disastrous powerplay for DC, who ended up at a mere 13 runs for 6 wickets after six overs—the lowest powerplay score in IPL history. Ultimately, DC was bowled out for just 75 runs, which the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) chased down effortlessly.
Steyn took to social media to express his admiration, stating, 'Watching Buvi, Hazelwood, throw KG and Archer in there too, there’s a genuine fear from batters not because they are scared, but they know exactly where these greats are going to bowl but don’t practice enough in that area to have answers. The fear is technical skill, too deep into the tournament to change now, watch these bowlers continue to dominate. It’s called a HARD length for a reason…'
Currently, Bhuvneshwar leads the Purple Cap race with 14 wickets from eight matches, boasting an impressive average of 16.85 and an economy rate of 7.61, with his best figures being 3/5. Hazlewood follows with eight wickets at an average of 19.25 and an economy of 7.89, achieving best figures of 4/12. Rabada has also been formidable in the powerplay, claiming 13 wickets at an average of 22.61, while Archer has made his mark with 13 wickets in eight games, averaging 17.92.
With this victory, RCB has secured their sixth win out of eight matches, accumulating 12 points and sitting in second place on the points table. Meanwhile, DC's fifth defeat, with three wins, places them seventh.
RCB chose to bowl first, and the outstanding performances from Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar (3/5) restricted DC to just 75 runs in 16.3 overs. Abishek Porel (30) and David Miller (19) were the only players to show some resistance. RCB's batting lineup responded aggressively, with Jacob Bethell scoring 20 runs off 10 balls, Devdutt Padikkal hitting 34 not out off 13 balls, and Virat Kohli contributing 25 not out off 13 balls, completing the chase in just 6.3 overs.