Royal Challengers Bengaluru speedster Josh Hazlewood produced a relentless spell as he and his fellow quick, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, ripped through Delhi Capitals in a chase that never really got going. With the early conditions offering more than a little for the fast bowlers, the visitors struck repeatedly in the opening phase, leaving the home side with almost no breathing space. The impact was immediate and severe: Delhi slid to six wickets for only eight runs, with the match effectively slipping away in the first few overs.
Hazlewood’s control and accuracy were the defining features of the innings, as he ended with a four-wicket haul to claim the Player of the Match award. Bhuvneshwar set the tone right at the start, striking in the very first over, and Delhi were unable to recover from that early jolt. From there, the pressure only intensified, with the batting unit collapsing under the combined pace and precision of the RCB bowlers.
Speaking about how the situation unfolded so differently from expectations, Hazlewood said even his own side hadn’t forecast such a dramatic collapse. He pointed to how closely he and Bhuvneshwar had been able to execute their plans for the powerplay, and suggested he simply followed the groundwork laid by the senior pacer.
“Yeah, I think, probably turning up here after 500-plus runs last game, probably weren’t expecting what happened, but, yeah, it feels like Bhuvi and I have been pretty close to producing a really good powerplay. So yeah, I just followed his lead basically again, and yeah, what happened, happened, so it was a great result,” the RCB pacer said during the post-match presentation.
Hazlewood also explained why the pitch and conditions played into Bengaluru’s strengths. He noted that the early overs had enough variation—movement and slight unpredictability—that the quicks could capitalise on before the surface became more settled.
“There was a little bit there in the first, you know, first six overs, which we maximised. I think there was a little bit up and down, maybe a little bit of sideways, so there was enough there to work with. The ball seemed to be skidding on quite quickly from short of a length in particular, and probably once the ball got soft, it became more consistent,” he added.
Hazlewood on tackling KL Rahul and Nitish Rana
When asked about his thinking around key dismissals involving KL Rahul and Nitish Rana, Hazlewood stressed the value of disciplined bowling lines and the smart use of the short ball. He explained that accuracy, along with a consistent length, made it significantly harder for the batters—especially on a surface that demanded careful timing.
“Yeah, I think in general, you wanted the batter to try and hit the ball back down the wicket and play in the V. I felt like from that length and that line, a nice straight line, that was probably the most was in the wicket. And then obviously the short ball was nice as well. So it was just about the accuracy of the short ball in particular. But I think, no matter where you pitched, it sort of ended up at the right height. It was one of those wickets. So, yeah, I think when that ball was nice and hard, it was quite tough to bat,” he said.
