Right, so Chennai Super Kings has already marked their comeback with a bang by clinching a humdinger against the Mumbai Indians.
Now, Rajasthan Royals make a comeback and they take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match and even before the two teams walk out, there will pressure owing to the absence of a certain Steve Smith and David Warner at the helm.
However, there is enough depth in both the sides to dish out a mouth-watering contest and here we take a look at five of the key player battles which might well determine the course of the match.
Also read: IPL 2018: Top 3 fifty makers in IPL history
Jaydev Unadkat vs Alex Hales
The most expensive Indian player will take on the replacement of David Warner in Alex Hales and the duel at the top will set the pace of the match perfectly.
Unadkat has the ability to swing the new ball and he has shown the ability to change the pace and length of his deliveries perfectly to flummox the batsmen.
Alex Hales has been in cracking form for England in the recent past and his role at the top of the order will be critical to how Sunrisers Hyderabad perform in the league, more so in the absence of David Warner.
Rashid Khan vs Ben Stokes
The clash of two marquee players, the clash of two match-winners, the clash of two colourful personalities, all eyes will be on the clash between Rashid Khan and Ben Stokes.
Young Rashid has been forcing people to sit up and take notice of his craft all over the world, and once again people will be keenly watching his progress in the IPL for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He will be up against Ben Stokes who seems to be getting into his groove after enduring a tough five months in his career.
The left-hander was the MVP in the previous season and his flamboyance in the middle order will be tested by the variations of Rashid Khan.
The person winning this battle might well win the match.
Jofra Archer vs Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey fetched 11 crores in the auctions and he will be a critical cog for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the middle order.
Jofra Archer’s story has been inspiring and his progress from Sussex to the BBL to the IPL has been one of the intriguing stories in the recent past.
However, his pedigree will be tested in India as he has never bowled in these conditions before and thus his task will be cut out against batsmen who have made their careers in these conditions and in front of stadiums which are packed to the rafters.
K Gowtham vs Shikhar Dhawan
This might just be the tournament which brings K Gowtham into national reckoning. The off-spinning all-rounder has made rapid strides in the domestic circuit and the IPL could not have come at a better time for the Karnataka player.
However, things will not be easy for him as he more often than not bowls in the powerplays and will be up against Shikhar Dhawan who has been plundering runs for fun over the last six to seven months.
Having said that, Dhawan has been quite susceptible against off-spin which makes this contest an interesting affair.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Ajinkya Rahane
India’s best Test players will be the critical cogs for their respective teams in this IPL. While Ajinkya Rahane will walk out as the captain and the opener for Rajasthan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball has been sensational for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Bhuvneshwar’s ability to swing the new ball will have to be factored in by Ajinkya Rahane who has the pedigree to stay solid and then drop the hammer right through the innings.
This battle at the top of the order might well define the shade of the match.
Also read: IPL 2018: Match 4 (SRH vs RR) – Stats Preview
