The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign for Delhi Capitals reached a historic low on Monday, 27 April 2026, as the franchise recorded the lowest Powerplay total in the tournament’s history. During a home fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Capitals suffered a catastrophic collapse, managing a mere 13 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the opening six overs.
This performance marks the latest in a series of significant setbacks for the Delhi-based side. On Saturday, 25 April, the team was involved in a world-record fixture where Punjab Kings successfully chased down a target of 264 runs—the highest successful pursuit in the history of recognised T20 cricket. That match was also marred by a severe injury to Capitals’ South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who suffered head and neck trauma while attempting a catch and had to be evacuated to a hospital by ambulance.
Unprecedented Batting Collapse in Delhi
The innings began in an atmosphere of collective shock as the Delhi top order proved unable to negotiate the opening spells of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. The veteran bowling duo operated in tandem throughout the entire six-over Powerplay, delivering an exhibition of precision that effectively dismantled the home side’s batting response before the fielding restrictions had even ended.
By the end of the sixth over, Delhi Capitals had accrued only 13 runs, surpassing the previous record for the lowest Powerplay score in the IPL. That unwanted milestone was formerly shared by Sunrisers Hyderabad (recorded in 2022) and Rajasthan Royals (recorded in 2009), both of whom had produced 14 runs in their respective matches.
The destruction of the top order was as follows:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 3 wickets for negligible runs.
Josh Hazlewood: 3 wickets in a similarly dominant spell.
The scores of the first six batsmen in the lineup offered a grim statistical summary, reading: 0, 1, 1, 0, 5, and 0. Amongst the casualties was the Capitals’ captain, Axar Patel, whose dismissal was met with intense celebrations from the Bengaluru squad.
Impact Player Deployment to Avoid Total Humiliation
At a particularly critical juncture, with the scoreboard reading 8 runs for 6 wickets, the Capitals appeared destined to break the record for the lowest overall team total in IPL history. This record is currently held by their opponents, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who were dismissed for 49 runs by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.
In an urgent tactical maneuver, the Delhi management introduced their Impact Player, batter Abishek Porel, much earlier than originally intended. Porel’s arrival proved to be a stabilizing factor; his resistance ensured the team surpassed the 50-run mark, thereby sparing the franchise the ignominy of setting a new record for the lowest completed innings total.
Mid-Innings Status and Outlook
As the match transitioned into the middle overs, the Capitals focused on damage limitation and attempting to post a semi-defensible score. At the time of reporting, the score stood at 64 runs for the loss of 8 wickets after 13 overs.
Abishek Porel remained the standout performer in a dismal scorecard, batting on an unbeaten 23, whilst being supported by Kuldeep Yadav on 1. Despite this minor recovery from the lower order, the record-breaking collapse in the Powerplay has left the Capitals with an almost insurmountable task to secure a victory. The franchise now faces intense pressure to address top-order vulnerabilities in a season defined by both record-breaking losses and a mounting injury list.