Bengaluru pacers Hazlewood and Kumar raze Delhi for 75 in IPL

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Bhuvneshwar Kumar, left, celebrates the wicket of Delhi Capitals' Tristan Stubbs, right, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Delhi, India, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood, center, celebrate with teammates the wicket of Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Delhi, India, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) — Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Bhuvneshwar Kumar, left, celebrates the wicket of Delhi Capitals' Tristan Stubbs, right, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Delhi, India, Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

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11:51 AM on Monday, April 27

The Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar routed Delhi Capitals for 75 and led defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thumping nine-wicket win in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

Delhi made 264-2 against IPL leaders the Punjab Kings on Saturday but two days later was shot out for its third lowest total. Hazlewood picked 4-12 and Kumar 3-5.

“I still cannot understand what happened,” Delhi captain Axar Patel. “In cricket … you cannot take it easy for even one day."

Bengaluru avenged its home loss to Delhi by cruising to 77-1 in 6.3 overs. Virat Kohli, the only man to pass 8,000 IPL runs, passed 9,000 with an unbeaten 23.

Kohli capped a perfect night for Bengaluru as he raised the victory with back-to-back sixes against Thangarasu Natarajan. Devdutt Padikkal also hurried the run chase with 34 not out off just 13 balls that included two sixes and two fours in Kyle Jamiesen's one over.

“Even I am surprised (at how the game went),” Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar said.

Earlier, Hazlewood and Kumar ripped through the Delhi top order with impressive swing bowling and searing yorkers. The home team crashed to eight runs for six wickets within the first 23 balls of the game.

Impact player Abishek Porel top-scored with 30 and helped Delhi cross its previous lowest total of 66 from 2017.

“When that ball was nice and hard, it was tough to bat,” Hazlewood said. “(Last year) we summed up conditions quickly and adapted our games. Feel like we are hitting our straps again at the right time.”

Kumar’s perfect yorker uprooted debutant Sahil Parakh’s middle stump off the second ball and Hazlewood made it 3-2 with the wickets of Saturday century-maker Lokesh Rahul and Sameer Rizvi off successive balls.

Delhi lost half the side in the space of 16 balls with just five runs on the board when Kumar found the edges of Tristan Stubbs and Patel.

Hazlewood completed the top-order demolition when Nitish Rana gloved a catch in the fourth over to wide slip.

Bengaluru stayed second in the table after six wins from eight games. Delhi was seventh.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket