Royal Challengers Bengaluru, fueled by Rajat Patidar's decision to bowl first, stormed through the opening exchanges in Mullanpur, causing the in-form top order of the Punjab Kings to collapse dramatically in the Qualifier 1. Josh Hazlewood, who returned to the starting lineup for the pivotal game, bowled a ferocious spell, taking two wickets during the Powerplay. The most telling blow came from the Australian, who dismissed Shreyas Iyer, the in-form captain of Punjab, for only two.

That wicket just made Iyer's alarming trend against Hazlewood worse; the pacer has now dismissed him four times in six T20 innings. Iyer attempted a cross-batted hoick, but a short ball merely climbed on him and then edged behind. Despite the glamour of Iyer's season, this was an unflattering playoff moment.

Even if Hazlewood had only begun his attack in the fourth over, his effect was immediate. With a high bounce that supported Bhuvneshwar Kumar's earlier display of control, he continued to test Nehal Wadhera.

Punjab's unraveling started with Bhuvneshwar. The veteran campaigner skillfully retracted his length after giving up a few boundaries to a usually aggressive Prabhsimran Singh, outwitting the opener with a slower delivery that rose just enough. Jitesh Sharma completed the catch behind the stumps with a last-ditch swat and a thin edge; it was his second of the powerplay.

Earlier, Yash Dayal had opened the wickets column for Bengaluru with a clever setup. Off his first five pitches, he scored 10 runs, then he threw one away from Priyansh Arya, forcing him to drive to cover, where Krunal Pandya took an easy catch. The stage was set for what would happen next by that epiphany.

Preity Zinta, the co-owner of PBKS, was in the stands during the game and couldn't believe what she saw as the Powerplay collapse occurred.

Hazlewood dismissed Josh Inglis, his fellow countryman, for a meager four runs out of seven balls. Inglis lost control of his pull shot, which bounced off the surface after a short throw, and Bhuvenshwar Kumar at deep fine leg caught the delivery with ease.

At the end of the powerplay, Punjab was in a dismal position at 48/4, especially considering that they had dominated this period throughout the year. Their innings was particularly suffocated by Shreyas' wicket. The beginning was a spectacular nosedive from a squad that has two 500-run scorers this season.

Read Also: PSG’s Surprising Rise: Thriving in the Post-Mbappe Era

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!