IPL 2018: One find from each eliminated team

After a month and a half of mouth-watering cricketing action, it is time for the fans as well as the cricketers to take a breather before we move on to the playoffs. Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore have missed yet another opportunity to lay their hands on the coveted IPL trophy whereas Mumbai Indians will have to wait for at least another year to get their fourth trophy. The four teams eliminated have committed many mistakes in the course of the tournament and hence sit in the bottom half of the points table. However, every eliminated team has managed to throw the spotlight on an unknown cricketer.

Let us have a look at one find of each eliminated team:

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#4 Kulwant Khejroliya (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Kulwant Khejroliya(left) played only 3 games for RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore is perhaps the only team who could not really 'unearth' any player, but from the very little we have seen, Kulwant Khejroliya has been their find of the year. The 26-year-old Rajasthan-born left-arm pacer was skipper Virat Kohli's first-choice Indian seamer to team up with Umesh Yadav.

Unfortunately, injury jolted his stint and Mohammed Siraj joined the playing XI. The Delhi seamer player 3 matches and though his numbers might not look impressive, his bowling has been good. His best spell came in RCB's second match against Kings XI Punjab where he conceded just 33 runs in 4 overs and took the wickets of Karun Nair and Axar Patel. His inspiring journey is well circulated all over the social media platforms and we can expect more from him in the coming years.

#3 Ankit Rajpoot (Kings XI Punjab)

Ankit Rajpoot had his best IPL campaign this year

Unlike Khejroliya who made his IPL debut this year, Ankit Rajpoot has been in the circuit for quite some time now. The 24-year-old pacer from Kanpur has been a part of Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past but never really got adequate opportunities to showcase his immense talent.

KXIP skipper Ravichandran Ashwin had faith in him and Rajpoot did not let him down. In 8 games, he picked up 11 wickets, whereas he had previously scalped only 8 wickets in three IPL campaigns before this season. He grabbed limelight when he picked up 5 wickets against a formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad side by conceding just 14 runs.

#2 Abhishek Sharma (Delhi Daredevils)

The teenage star has proved his prowess in only 3 games

Indian U-19 skipper Prithvi Shaw has undoubtedly been the best U-19 performer of the season. But given his extraordinary form in the ICC U-19 World Cup, it was expected he will deliver if he gets enough chances. If asked to find Delhi Daredevils' find of the season, we must mention this 17-year-old wonder kid from Punjab.

Not many expected Abhishek Sharma to get a chance in DD's playing XI and he only got three opportunities. However, it was enough to showcase the enormous talent he possesses. Scoring 63 in 3 games at an average of 63 and a highly commendable strike rate of just under 200, Sharma got every commentator wondering why he was benched for the majority of the season. His unbeaten knock of 46 runs in just 19 balls against RCB received praises from everywhere.

#1 Mayank Markande (Mumbai Indians)

The leggie is in the race for the emerging player of the year award

Indian cricket has many reasons to thank Mumbai Indians and they have got yet another one in form of Mayank Markande. After the Pandya brothers, it was the 20-year-old leg-spinner from Punjab who rose to the occasion and might get to don the national colours soon. With 15 wickets in 14 games, Markande is in the race for the Emerging Player of the Year award.

His economy rate of a notch over 8 runs per over is equally impressive. His best performance came against Sunrisers Hyderabad where he picked up 4 wickets by conceding just 23 runs. He is now the third youngest player to have a 4-wicket haul to his name.