Good morning, Delhi Capitals had the kind of plan that starts as a joke and ends as a collapse. After seeing CSK take an excruciating 12 overs to move from their start to 50, they essentially replied, “We’ll finish this before you even settle into your extra ten bucks.” At one point during the Powerplay, DC were 8 for 6—one of those batting cards that looks like it was generated by an OTP instead of a top-order. If you were among the Delhi fans who couldn’t get a ticket to the DC vs RCB clash, this might have been one of the rare times that not getting in actually worked out. Here’s Cricbuzz Pulse, your quick two-minute IPL morning rundown.
Last night in five lines
At a ground where 265 has recently been hunted down with the ease of a fast run past Silk Board Junction’s new double-decker flyover, DC still managed to get bundled out for just 75. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned figures of 3-0-5-3, while Josh Hazlewood struck with 3-0-8-3. Delhi slumped to 13/6 after six overs and produced the lowest Powerplay total in IPL history. The ball moved, edges kept finding hands, and there were always two slips waiting—yes, it was absolutely watchable in the most brutally entertaining way.
Abishek Porel and David Miller managed to stitch together 35 runs, which at least made the scorecard look slightly less painful. Then Virat Kohli and R. Padikkal unleashed a 65-run Powerplay blitz for the chase, and they wrapped up the contest in the second-shortest completed match in IPL history.
Oh, that happened
Delhi handed a debut cap to 18-year-old Sahil Parakh. KL Rahul put him on strike. But before Parakh could properly settle into the moment, Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered an inswinging, seemingly unplayable yorker—one that arrived with the sort of accuracy that makes you wonder how it was even legal in the first place. It was a two-ball duck, and his first real IPL memory couldn’t have been more dramatic.
Pulse awards
The Marvel award goes to Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar for turning Delhi into a “multiverse of collapses.”
The weather-app award goes to the Delhi pitch and the pitch reporters on broadcast for being impossible to trust.
The welcome-to-adult-life award goes to Sahil Parakh, whose first proper IPL memory now includes an inswinging yorker aimed at his toes from Bhuvneshwar.
The inflation award goes to Romario Shepherd for ensuring the scoreboard keeps climbing no matter when, where, or what kind of delivery he bowls.
The royal-family award goes to Mumbai Indians for signing Keshav Maharaj as Santner’s replacement—giving this IPL a proper troika of a King, a Prince, and now a Maharaj.
Talking point
The Impact Sub era has turned the Powerplay into the IPL’s biggest make-or-break stretch. Teams are now scoring 25.7% faster in the first six overs than they did in 2022, and the average has climbed from 31.57 to 35.61. That means sides are pushing the tempo harder without paying an extra wicket tax. Not surprisingly, the top four teams right now are also the four best Powerplay batting outfits this season.
Who’s saying what
Axar Patel said he had “little clue what just happened” after the match, before adding that Delhi Capitals would have to “forget this and move on.” Rajat Patidar admitted he was “surprised” by how much the surface behaved early on, stressing that the original plan was never to burn through Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood’s overs upfront. Bhuvneshwar himself confessed he was “a bit surprised” by the swing on offer, while Hazlewood said the ball was skidding off a hard length and his simple job was to keep batters playing in the V.
Stat Snack
Delhi have now been bowled out for 75 or below three times in IPL cricket—making it the second-highest number for any franchise. The team with the most? RCB, who were kind enough to oversee this one too.
What’s the latest gossip?
Birdies claim that people in Australia and England are scratching their heads over how the same Indian venue can play like two different grounds on two different days. One night it’s 250-plus with batters smiling, and the next day the ball is seaming around with two slips in play. By design? “In internationals, yes. In IPL, not always,” says a well-placed source.
Tonight’s watchlist
Punjab Kings are hosting Rajasthan Royals in New Chandigarh, and it’s their final home game at the venue. Keep an eye on the clash between the opening pairs.
Reckless prediction for tonight’s match
A teenager is going to make you feel old—very old.
