• Source:JND

RCB vs SRH IPL 2026: After watching Jacob Duffy's IPL debut against SRH, many thought their job would be similar. Of course, this did not apply to bowling to Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. His debut lasted just seven overs before he returned to the pavilion.

And till the time Duffy finished with his overs, he dismantled Hyderabad's batting lineup and helped RCB bounce back in the match. The Kiwi fast bowler, who was roped in for a whopping amount of Rs 2 crore during the mini auction last year, took three wickets and leaked just 22 runs in the three overs that he bowled. He also struck twice in a single over and dismissed both Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, and then took the wicket of Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Duffy had bowled four overs and was substituted immediately, and Devdutt Padikkal replaced him.

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CAN DUFFY HEAD BACK TO THE HOTEL NOW?

Dinesh Karthik, the mentor of the Bengaluru-based franchise, was part of an interaction midway through the game, during which he asked how Duffy reacted when he left the field.

"As soon as he came, he said, ' This is the best that I've ever played. I'm done for the day," Karthik was heard as saying.

Kevin Pietersen then enquired whether Duffy would return to the hotel, since his job was done for the day, and Karthik emphasised that, under matchday rules, he would have to stay with the team.

Ideally, he can go back to the hotel if he wants to. But since there's a game, he has to stay with the team. The point is, he's done for the day. He can't bat or act as a substitute in the field. In many words, his game is done. He's done a wonderful job," he added.

IS DUFFY THE PERFECT HAZLEWOOD FOIL?

Karthik emphasised that they bought Duffy since he has the same skills as Josh Hazlewood. Hazlewood has joined the RCB team and will recover soon.

"We really believe Duffy could do what Josh Hazlewood does. He showed a version of that today. We are very happy with how he started," he concluded.

Duffy recorded his third-best performance as a debutant in RCB's history.


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