Delhi Capitals have endured a brutal beginning to their chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an IPL 2026 encounter at Delhi on Monday. Within the opening two overs, the Capitals slipped to three dismissals. Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck early by removing Sahil Parakh for a duck with the second delivery of the first over, setting the tone for the collapse. The very next over, bowled by Josh Hazlewood, saw KL Rahul walk back for 1 and Sameer Rizvi depart for 0. In the third over, Bhuvneshwar returned to add to the damage, dismissing Tristan Stubbs for 5 and Axar Patel for 0. Hazlewood then struck again in the fourth over, sending back Nitish Rana. By the time the innings reached 3.5 overs, the scoreboard read 8/6, raising a real possibility that Delhi could be restricted to the lowest total ever in IPL history.
Top 5 Lowest Totals in IPL History (as of April 2026)
- 49 – RCB vs KKR (2017)
- 58 – Rajasthan Royals vs RCB (2009)
- 59 – Rajasthan Royals vs RCB (2023)
- 66 – Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians (2017)
- 67 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians (2008)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to field against Delhi Capitals in the 39th match of the ongoing IPL 2026 season on Monday. The high-octane clash between the Capitals and the defending champions is taking place at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
After the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar explained that the decision was shaped by expected batting-friendly conditions, particularly in the second innings under lights. He said, “We will bowl first. This venue is a high-scoring ground; it will not make much difference. We will try to put them under pressure in the second innings. The most important thing is that different players are coming up and delivering in different matches. We have played some good cricket and continue to carry that momentum. It is in the past, we are looking to play good cricket.”
Following the match, Delhi captain Axar Patel pointed to the factors that shaped the contest, noting that the compact boundaries and a pitch that improved for batting as the game went on played a major role. He added, “I would have fielded if I won the toss. The ground dimensions are small, the pitch also gets better, so we would have chased as well. In the IPL, you score 264 and lose, but it is a long tournament; we had a good game with bat and ball. If we had held our chances, then the result would be different.”
