On a surface that demanded patience more than power at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals outclassed Mumbai Indians to make it two out of two in IPL 2026.
While Sameer Rizvi’s fluent 90 grabbed the headlines in DC’s six-wicket win over MI, the groundwork had been laid earlier in the evening by Mukesh Kumar, who once again showed the value of discipline with the new ball and imposed 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 outfox batters conditioned to attack. What Mukesh is building instead is a far older craft, one that rests on control of length and the discipline to repeat it.
THE HAZLEWOOD T20 IMPRINT
In that sense, the reference point is clear. Josh Hazlewood has built a career on denying batters room rather than surprising them, and his IPL 2025 season was an extension of that philosophy.
With 22 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 8.77, he drove Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first title, doing so through relentless accuracy rather than fancy variations.
Mukesh, for his part, is beginning to operate in a similar mould, leaning into those principles and making them central to his own method.
“Last year, we observed how Hazlewood bowled; he consistently hit test lengths. Our coach advised me to focus on my strengths and target that area. It’s a difficult length to score off, especially if the ball is moving,” Mukesh said after DC’s win over MI in Delhi.
The phrase “Test length” in a T20 context can feel counterintuitive, but its value lies in the doubt it creates. It sits in that awkward zone, neither full enough to drive nor short enough to pull with authority and, on a surface offering even a hint of assistance, it draws mistakes rather than inviting strokes. Mukesh has returned to that area with growing conviction.
When the season began, Mukesh Kumar was not seen as an automatic pick. The competition was hard to ignore, especially with Jammu and Kashmir quick Auqib Nabi pushing his case after a standout domestic season.
Mukesh then explained how he earned the Delhi Capitals management’s trust to secure a place in the playing XI for the season opener.
“There are practice matches before an IPL season. If you do well there, the management backs you. I did well in the practice match. So, the team has backed me. The performances are showing.”
MUKESH STEPS UP BIG TIME
And in Delhi Capitals’ first two matches, the Bihar seamer has quietly shown why he stays ahead in the pecking order, leaning on the experience of having already worn India colours across formats.
In Lucknow, during Delhi’s opening game of the season, that intent was evident right through the powerplay. He sent down three overs with the new ball for less than a run a ball, not through exaggerated movement but through control. There was just enough swing to bring the batter forward and just enough seam to keep the edge in play. More telling, though, was his refusal to ease the squeeze. There was little width on offer, and he rarely erred in length, especially against Mitchell Marsh, who was repeatedly forced to play in front of square. There was a touch of fortune too, a run-out involving Rishabh Pant that went 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 on both sides of the wicket, but the correction came quickly. The line straightened, the length settled just outside off, and the response from the batters followed a familiar pattern. Ryan Rickelton, after being tied down, went in search of a release shot and picked out the fielder instead, guiding a miscued stroke towards mid-off where Axar Patel completed the chance.
Tilak Varma lasted just two deliveries. The knuckle ball at 114.7 kph was not a surprise in itself, but it worked because it followed a sequence that had already shut down scoring options. The shot was checked, the timing was absent, and Mukesh completed a simple return catch.
His figures of 3-0-26-2 told only part of the story. The spell was less about wickets in isolation and more about shaping the phase of the innings.
“You have to first read the pitch, whether it is 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 game.
“My mindset is still to take wickets. That is why I was bowling at the stumps. I was looking to attack.”
The emphasis on attacking the stumps is a natural extension of the length he is targeting. It narrows scoring areas, brings both edges into play, and forces batters to manufacture options rather than access them. It is also a method that requires trust, particularly in a format where even good balls can disappear.
FOCUS ON INDIA COMEBACK
At 32, Mukesh is in that unforgiving phase of a fast bowler’s career where every spell is a statement. His India debut across formats came during the Caribbean tour in 2023, but opportunities have since dried up. This IPL, then, is more than just another season. For Delhi Capitals, it is about pushing towards an elusive first title; for Mukesh, it is about forcing his way back into national reckoning.
There is no dramatic overhaul to his craft, only a sharpening of it. Mukesh has leaned into discipline, locking into a testing length and hitting it relentlessly. The method is subtle but effective, built not on flair but on control, stacking dot balls, squeezing batters, and shifting the momentum inch by inch.
And in that approach, there is a clear imprint of Josh Hazlewood.
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