Four matches into the competition and Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore are occupying the bottom two slots and time might be ripe for both of them to spark a revival of their fortunes.
However, both teams have pressing concerns to address and both teams need to identify moments in the match which they need to dominate.
Also read: IPL 2018: Match 19 (RCB vs DD) – Probable XI Fantasy
Having said this, both teams have the players to stand up and be counted and we take a look at five such player battles which might define the result of the match.
Trent Boult vs Virat Kohli
Two players from the 2008 Under-19 batch, two players who are world beaters in their own right, Trent Boult will look to swing the ball and Virat Kohli will look to counter it.
Boult opens the bowling for Delhi Daredevils and more often than not picks up early wickets in the piece and this is where the RCB skipper will have to take matters into his own hands and look not only to keep Boult at bay, but also look to score runs off him.
How the start pans out will determine the eventual result.
Rahul Tewatia vs Quinton de Kock
The leg-spinner has been a consistent performer for the Delhi Daredevils this season and Gautam Gambhir might toss the ball to him in the powerplay to take on the threat of Quinton de Kock.
While de Kock feasts on fast bowling, he tends to struggle against wrist spin and this is where Delhi should utilise him.
Tewatia mixes his traditional leg breaks with sliders and gogglies and has been picking up wickets on a consistent basis and Delhi will hope he continues to the same.
Yuzvendra Chahal vs Jason Roy
For all his big-hitting prowess, Jason Roy has bot quite wrapped his head around leg spin bowling and this will make Virat Kohli hand the ball to Yuzvendra Chahal in the powerplays to nip this threat in the bud.
Chahal has been decent for RCB, but he needs to up his game further and look to get amongst the wickets on a more regular basis.
Mohammed Shami vs AB de Villiers
The Indian fast bowler has been having a decent season so far without picking up wickets. He has been employed by Gautam Gambhir during the middle and latter stages of the innings and this will allow him to have a crack against AB de Villiers who controls the middle order of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
While AB has looked solid, Shami has found his length and his pace is slippery which will make this battle interesting.
Perhaps, the winner of the middle phases will sit on the winner’s podium towards the end of the match.
Chris Woakes vs Gautam Gambhir
The captain of Delhi Daredevils needs to step up and lead his side by making runs at the top of the order. However, he will be facing the seam and swing of Chris Woakes with the new ball.
Woakes has been picking up wickets on a regular basis and Kohli would hope his strike bowler gets rid of the opposition skipper as soon as possible, for Gambhir has the ability to control the pace of the innings and he can only bunt the threat of RCB’s skipper in the middle overs.
Also read: IPL 2018: Week Two – Best Team of the Week
