The Royal Challengers Bangalore wrapped up the shortest game of the season, skittling Delhi Capitals for a paltry 75.

Opting to bowl, RCB’s pace spearheads Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) and Josh Hazlewood (4/12) ran through the top order, sharing seven wickets. Rasikh Salam Dar and Suyash Sharma chipped in with one apiece as the hosts folded for the lowest total of the season.

The damage was done early. Delhi stumbled to a record-low Powerplay score of 13 for 6 — far worse than RCB’s previous low of 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.

Bhuvneshwar set the tone with a late outswinger that rattled debutant Sahil Parekh’s stumps. Hazlewood followed up with a decisive burst, removing KL Rahul and Sameer Rizvi in the same over to leave Delhi in disarray.

There was no recovery. Bhuvneshwar returned to dismiss Tristan Stubbs, while skipper Axar Patel fell for a duck, edging behind. In a matter of overs, Capitals slid to 8 for 5 and then 9 for 6, leaving the home crowd stunned.

Only one boundary came in the Powerplay. Nitish Rana fell cheaply, and Hazlewood fittingly sealed the innings by castling Abishek Porel.

Porel (30), David Miller (19) and Kyle Jamieson (12) offered brief resistance, but the collapse had already sealed Delhi’s fate.

Chasing just 76, RCB made light work of the target. Virat Kohli (23) and Jacob Bethell (20) provided a brisk start before Bethell fell to a sharp catch off Jamieson. Thereafter, Devdutt Padikkal’s fluent 34 ensured there were no hiccups as the chase was completed in just 6.3 overs.

The crowd had come to watch Kohli, but the modest target left little room for a spectacle. Still, the local favourite signed off in style with consecutive sixes off T Natarajan.

For Delhi, it marked a sharp drop from their previous outing, where they had piled up 264. This time, the same batting unit looked tentative and out of answers — a reminder of how quickly fortunes shift in T20 cricket.

Captain Axar Patel cut a puzzled figure after the match, following back-to-back setbacks inside 48 hours.

“Even I don’t know what happened. You have to be on your toes in cricket. We have to move on,” he said at the presentation.

Reflecting on recent moments that may have hurt momentum, Axar pointed to missed chances.

“You can look back — if the catches were taken or that single against Gujarat Titans was completed, things might have been different. But there’s no room for ifs and buts. You have to stay positive and take the good from the last few games,” he added.

He, however, dismissed suggestions that the conditions were unusually helpful for swing.

“They are world-class bowlers; they can swing it anywhere. If our top order had seen them off, the result could have been different.”

Hazlewood admitted the pitch took him by surprise after a high-scoring previous game.

“After a 500-plus run match here, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just followed Bhuvneshwar’s lead. There was enough in the first six overs, and the ball was skidding on. Once it got soft, it became more even,” he said.

He also explained his approach against Nitish Rana. “You want the batter to play straight. The short ball worked because of the pace and accuracy. When the ball was hard, it was tough to bat.”

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar echoed the sentiment.

“Even I’m surprised by how the pitch played. Full credit to the bowlers — they hit the right areas. The swing was normal, but early wickets made the difference. Suyash was impressive, bowling stump to stump,” he said.