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IPL 2021: Match 18 (RR vs KKR) – 3 Player Battles To Watch Out For
By CricShots - Apr 24, 2021 12:46 am
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Two teams reeling at the bottom of the IPL points table, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be locking horns with each other in Mumbai in Match 18 of IPL 2021 on Saturday. Both teams will be looking to get back to the winning ways after suffering 3 defeats in 4 games so far. The Rajasthan Royals currently stand at the bottom of the points table with a poor Net Run Rate, while KKR is in 6th place with 2 points, but a slightly better run rate.

ipl 2021
Eoin Morgan scored a brilliant fifty against RR

KKR’s middle-order has shown some promised with the bat in their previous outing against CSK. It will be intriguing to see how the RR manages to negotiate with the KKR batsmen at a high-scoring ground like the Wankhede. Having said that, we look at 3 key player battles that could play a huge deciding factor in the outcome of the game.

#1 Shubman Gill vs Chetan Sakariya

shubman gill
Shubman Gill 

Shubman Gill has performed brilliantly with the bat for the Indian team since the start of 2021, but he has failed to replicate the same for KKR. Chetan Sakariya, on the other hand, has had a dream start to his IPL campaign with the Rajasthan Royals. With Gill will be opening the innings for KKR and Sakariya bowling during the powerplay, it will be interesting to see which player comes out on top.

ALSO READ: Match 18 (RR vs KKR) – Fantasy And Probable XI Predictions

Both Gill and Sakariya will walk into the contest after a forgettable outing in their previous game. While Gill lost his wicket early against the Chennai Super Kings, Sakariya had an off day with the ball in his last outing as e was smashed all0over the park by the RCB openers.

#2 Chris Morris vs Andre Russell

Arguably the most interesting clash in this game will be banter between Andre Russell and Chris Morris. The two all-rounders bat in the middle-order batsmen, who are known for their batting exploits as well as their wicket-taking ability. With Russell finally getting his batting form back during KKR’s previous outing, the onus will be on Morris to stop Russell from going berserk at the Wankhede Stadium. Meanwhile, the West Indies star will look to get the better of Morris while bowling in at the death and will aim to restrict RR to a low total.

#3 Pat Cummins vs Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson

Despite being plagued by inconsistency, Sanju Samson can never be taken lightly. After scoring a blistering century in RR’s first game of the season, Samson has had a quiet time with the bat. He will be hungry to get going against the Knight Riders. On the other hand, KKR has the perfect bowler to stop Sanju Samson from wreaking havoc.

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Pat Cummins could play a crucial role in picking up the wicket of Samson early. But if the RR skipper gets going, Cummins could suffer as Samson knows how to use the pace. After a sensational display of power-hitting with the bat against CSK, the KKR pacer will be eager to showcase his potency with the ball as well.