Rajat Patidar to Josh Hazlewood – three top performances for RCB against LSG in the eliminator

On a night that would witness one of the most thrilling encounters unfolding at the hallowed Eden Gardens, the Royal Challengers Bangalore would pump out an absolute masterclass to fix a Qualifier date at Ahmedabad with an old rival, Rajasthan Royals.

However, before we head over to the following encounter, the eliminator had a handful of very special performances by youngsters and seasoned campaigners alike. On a night where the famed KGF trio wouldn't make much of an impact, unheralded heroes would join forces with known ones to pen the story of the night.

Here are our top three performances from RCB against LSG where collective efforts from the team would help them go through.

1. Rajat Patidar

The man who went unsold at the auction emerged as the hero of the eliminator, conjuring a thunderous century to condemn the giants to a merciless whacking. Coming out to bat early in the innings, the youngster would stitch together a slew of gorgeous-looking strokes, taking on everyone that came his way. He would dish out a 360-degree innings to help the Challengers post a momentous 207 on the cards, a total that they would successfully defend, thanks to Patidar’s 112* off 54.

2. Josh Hazlewood

The thunder from Down Under would once again strike the Lucknow Super Giants, as he followed his preceding four-fer showdown with another three-star display, bagging the all-important wicket of KL Rahul that would eventually come as the final nail in the Super Giants coffin. Krunal Pandya would just come and go as Hazlewood’s pace would totally outclass him. He would also claim the wicket of Manan Vohra earlier in the innings, stalling the chase for the Giants in front of a mammoth 207.

3. Wanindu Hasaranga

Despite the Sri Lankan’s numbers not being exactly overwhelming, the kind of impact that he has had on today’s game is what defines an ace of modern cricket. He was absolutely electric in the field that would see him saving a minimum of 10-12 runs, wherein the winning margin for RCB would eventually be 14. Add to that the crucial scalp of Deepak Hooda and that too at the very moment when Lucknow was planning to put their foot on the gas, and one would grasp the outstanding contribution of the Sri Lankan.