Nothing prepares a team for a collapse like this. Delhi Capitals endured one of their worst moments in the Indian Premier League, creating an unwanted record against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 27 at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
DC lost their first five wickets in just 16 balls, the fastest any team has ever lost half their side in the IPL history. This broke the previous record of 18 balls set by Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier in the IPL 2026.
The situation looked even worse on the scoreboard. Delhi were reduced to 7/5 after those 16 deliveries, making it the second lowest total for five wickets in the history of the tournament. Only Kochi Tuskers Kerala had done worse, scoring 6/5 against Deccan Chargers back in 2011. Even in that match, Kochi had lasted 19 balls before losing five wickets, which makes DC’s collapse even more dramatic.
Interestingly, the venue had recently witnessed a run-fest, when Punjab Kings chased down a massive 265 just days earlier. But this time, the story was completely different. The pitch offered just enough help and RCB’s new-ball bowlers made full use of it.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck early, dismissing debutant Sahil Parakh on the second ball. Josh Hazlewood then turned up the pressure by taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries, removing KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to add more damage, getting rid of Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel quickly to complete the top-order collapse.
By the end of the powerplay, DC were struggling at 13/6, the lowest powerplay score ever in the IPL history. It was only the second time a team had lost six wickets inside the powerplay, once again recalling that difficult Kochi match from 2011.
For Delhi Capitals, it was more than just a bad day, it was a collapse that will be remembered for years.
