On a surface that required more patience than power at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals outclassed Mumbai Indians to make it two from two in IPL 2026.
While Sameer Rizvi grabbed a fluent 90 headlines in DC’s six-wicket win over MIthe foundations were laid earlier in the evening by Mukesh Kumar, who again showed the value of discipline with the new ball and introduced a method that is beginning to define his T20 bowling.
DC vs MI, IPL 2026 Highlights | Scorecard
There is a tendency in the format to chase novelty, to rely on variations that can outwit batsmen ready to attack. Instead, Mukesh is building a much older craft that relies on length control and the discipline to repeat it.
HAZLEWOOD T20 PRINT
In this sense, the reference point is clear. Josh Hazlewood has built a career on denying batters space rather than surprising them, and his IPL 2025 season has been an extension of that philosophy.
With 22 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 8.77, he propelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden title thanks to relentless accuracy rather than fancy variations.
Mukesh, for his part, begins to operate in a similar fashion, drawing on these principles and making them central to his own method. Is Mukesh Kumar the most reliable pacer for DC after Starc? (Photo: PTI)
“We watched Hazlewood bowl last year; he consistently hit Test lengths. Our coach advised me to focus on my strengths and target that area. It’s difficult to score, especially when the ball is moving,” Mukesh said after DC’s win over MI in Delhi.
The phrase “length of Test” in a T20 context may seem counter-intuitive, but its value lies in the doubt it creates. It sits in that uncomfortable zone, neither full enough to drive nor short enough to pull with authority, drawing mistakes rather than enticing strokes on a surface that offers even a hint of help. Mukesh returned to the field with growing conviction.
Mukesh Kumar was not considered an automatic choice when the season started. The competition was hard to ignore, especially with Jammu and Kashmir quick Auqib Nabi pressing his case after an outstanding domestic season.
Mukesh then explained how he earned the trust of the Delhi Capitals management to secure a place in the playing eleven for the season opener.
“Before the IPL season, there are practice matches. If you do well there, the management supports you. I did well in the practice match. So the team supported me. The performances show.”
MUKESH IS PROGRESSING SIGNIFICANTLY
And in Delhi Capitals’ first two matches, the Bihar seamer has quietly shown why he remains ahead of the pecking order, banking on the experience of having already worn India colors across formats.
In Lucknow, during the season opener in Delhi, that intention was evident right from the power play. He bowled three overs with the new ball for less than a run a ball, not with excessive movement but with control. There was just enough swing to move the batter forward and just enough seam to keep the edge in play. More telling, however, was his refusal to ease the squeeze. There was little width on offer and he rarely erred on the length, especially against Mitchell Marsh, who was repeatedly forced to play in front of square. There was also a touch of luck, a dash involving Rishabh Pant going in his favour, but the spell itself was shaped by control rather than chance.
Then against Mumbai Indians, the Bihar-born seamer began by searching both sides of the wicket, but the remedy came quickly. The line straightened, the length settled just outside, and the response from the thumbs followed a familiar pattern. Ryan Rickelton, after being tied down, went looking for a shot and instead picked out a fielder and miscued a shot towards mid-off where Axar Patel finished the chance. Mukesh Kumar played a key role in DC’s win with his spell of 2/26. (Photo: PTI)
Tilak Varma lasted just two deliveries. The 114.7 km/h knuckleball wasn’t a surprise in itself, but it worked because it followed a sequence that had already eliminated scoring opportunities. The shot was checked, the timing was lacking and Mukesh completed a simple return.
His figures of 3-0-26-2 told only part of the story. The magic was less about wickets in isolation and more about shaping the phase of the innings.
“First you have to read the pitch, whether it’s slow or not. You have to make your plans accordingly. Here, if you hit the pitch hard, the bounce was generally low. I focused on that and mixed it up with cutters,” he said after the match.
“My mindset is still to take wickets. That’s why I was looking at the stumps. I wanted to attack.”
The emphasis on attacking the stumps is a natural extension of the length at which he aims. It narrows the scoring areas, brings both edges into play and forces batsmen to create options rather than approach them. It’s also a method that requires trust, especially in a format where even good balls can disappear.
FOCUS ON INDIA’S RETURN
At 32, Mukesh is in a fierce phase of the fast bowler’s career where every spell is a statement. His debut for India across formats came during the 2023 Caribbean tour, but options have since dried up. So this IPL is more than just another season. For Delhi Capitals, it’s all about moving towards the elusive first title; for Mukesh, it’s about pushing himself back into the national reckoning.
There is no dramatic rebuilding of his craft, only a honing of it. Leaning into the discipline, Mukesh settled into the testing length and pounded it relentlessly. The method is subtle but effective, built not on flair but on control, folding balls, squeezing batters and shifting momentum inch by inch.
And there is a clear imprint of Josh Hazlewood in this approach.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
05 Apr 2026 08:49 IST
