Before the first ball of IPL 2026 was bowled at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 28 March, most fans had already written the script. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were starting the season without Josh Hazlewood, their star seamer from IPL 2025, leaving them with only Bhuvneshwar Kumar as their seasoned quick. Into that vacancy stepped Jacob Duffy, a 31-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler from New Zealand who most Indian cricket fans could not have picked out of a lineup an hour before the toss. By the time his fourth over ended, they knew exactly who he was.
The night a silent New Zealander changed everything
RCB's debutant produced a clinical opening spell of 3/22, dismissing Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Nitish Kumar Reddy to leave SRH reeling at 29/3 within the powerplay. The sequence happened with startling economy and composure. Opening the bowling, he struck in his second over to remove Abhishek Sharma, who miscued a big shot and was caught by Jitesh Sharma running back.
Just deliveries later, he doubled the blow by dismissing Travis Head, caught near the boundary by Phil Salt, leaving SRH reeling early. He then returned to dismiss Nitish Kumar Reddy through a top edge to mid-wicket, completing one of the most impactful debut powerplay spells in recent IPL memory.
From an auction bargain to a player of the match
RCB secured Duffy during the IPL 2026 auction at his base price of ₹2 crore, a move that now looks increasingly shrewd. The 31-year-old enjoyed a career-defining 2025, briefly holding the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings and setting a national record by taking 81 international wickets in a single calendar year. Still, this was his first-ever IPL appearance, stepping directly into a role vacated by Hazlewood, and that contrast made his performance all the more striking. After winning the Player of the Match award, Duffy said he simply wanted to bowl hard lengths and keep the ball there, crediting Hazlewood for the lessons he carried into the match.
RCB chased down the massive target of 202 comfortably, finishing in just 15.4 overs, sending a strong statement to the rest of the league as they kicked off their title defence in emphatic fashion. IPL 2026 had its first breakout story, and it belonged entirely to Duffy.
