In the ongoing IPL, Josh Hazlewood is to Royal Challengers Bengaluru what Jasprit Bumrah has been to Mumbai Indians.

He’s become someone RCB can’t do without, and can do only so much without. He has a measly economy of 7.22 and 9.04 with seven and six wickets in the PowerPlay and death (last four) overs, respectively. Remarkably, he’s conceded only 26.86 per cent of his team’s PowerPlay runs when he’s bowled at least two overs in that phase per match. He’s conceded less than 25 per cent in four such matches, the least two figures being 13.33 and 11.11 per cent.

So, with his return, RCB has a special reason to feel heartened as it takes on Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium here on Tuesday. With the LSG batters coming off a rampage versus Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, RCB will look up to Hazlewood for early wickets. Until the season was suspended, Hazlewood had picked up six wickets in his opening overs, the most by any bowler.

As opener Phil Salt acknowledged after his team’s 42-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Friday, RCB looked set to chase down the 232-run target even after 15 overs.

“I think we did a lot of good things. The margins were fine most of the time. But the margins for failure were very fine tonight,” he said.

RCB has to get the margins right on Tuesday for a top-two finish in the league table and to get to the playoffs with a winning momentum in addition to having two shots at reaching the final.