IPL 2018, DD vs RCB: 5 player battles to look out for in Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

It is the battle between 7th and 8th tonight at the Feroz Shah Kotla tonight and nothing less than a win is going to suit either of Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

DD lost the previous game to Sunrisers Hyderabad despite the heroics from their young star Rishabh Pant, while RCB inexplicably messed up a chase against the same opponents in their last game.

Both teams are filled with star players who can turn the game in a matter of few overs and ultimately, the result of the game is going to depend on some of the individual battles that will take place tonight.

Here is a look at five of the most engrossing individual battles in tonight’s match that will have a big impact on the direction of the game.

---

#5 Glenn Maxwell v Tim Southee

Glenn Maxwell

The Australian batsman was expected to be the middle-order power-hitter for DD but so far Glenn Maxwell has struggled for form. However, if he is to come back to some sort of hitting form then there is no better time to do so than tonight and that too against a bowling attack that has often struggled to contain the opposition so far.

He is going to be vital for DD’s batting effort in the slog overs and he will have to come good against one of the best death bowlers in the world in RCB’s Tim Southee.

The RCB attack struggled in the slog overs but the addition to Southee to the playing eleven has vastly improved the situation and the New Zealand bowlers expertise will be necessary to keep Maxwell quiet in the closing stages of the DD innings tonight.

The fast bowler’s intelligence, varieties and the ability to bowl pinpoint yorkers have seen him concede only 7.93 runs an over so far in 4 games. In a small ground like the Kotla, his closing spell will be vital and his battle with Maxwell is going to be the encounter that everyone must be looking forward to.

#4 Amit Mishra v AB de Villiers

Amit Mishra

In his previous game against the same opponents at Bengaluru, AB de Villiers scored a sensational unbeaten 90 and blew DD away. However, that seems a distant memory and his recent form has been pretty poor.

The South African star was dismissed for single-figure scores in his last two innings but at the same time, he is a player who can get back in touch pretty easily and that’s what makes him such a dangerous player. In eight games so far, he is averaging 40.85 and has recorded an astonishing strike rate of 174.39.

De Villiers is a player who does not have many weaknesses but it is his battle with DD’s leg-spinner Amit Mishra that could well turn out to be one of the most important encounters in the game. The Indian spinner has been the most consistent bowler in the DD attack so far and the control that he provides in the middle-overs is priceless.

He has recorded an economy rate of 7.68 in 7 games so far and taken 6 wickets, however, De Villiers is going to be a different kettle of fish. If De Villiers can go after him, then DD might find it very tough to contain RCB tonight.

#3 Prithvi Shaw v Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav

DD’s Powerplay batting has improved a lot since they started playing Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order and the youngster has almost always got them off to scorching starts. In 6 games so far, he is averaging 35.66 and has recorded a brilliant strike rate of 163.35.

The interesting bit about his batting is that he has recorded a strike rate of 176.1 against fast bowling and hence, his battle against RCB’s Umesh Yadav is going to the one to watch out for tonight.

The Indian pacer has been the spearhead of the RCB pace attack and he has been able to pin back plenty of batting line-ups over the course of this season’s IPL. Yadav is RCB’s highest wicket-taker with a total of 14 scalps and he has also recorded an excellent economy rate of 814.

However, the prospect of him going head to head against one of the most promising batsmen in India is something that everyone must be waiting for and this particular battle could well prove to be a match-defining one.

#2 Trent Boult v Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Despite going through a below-par season by his own standards, RCB captain Virat Kohli is still the highest run-scorer for his team this season with an aggregate of 396 runs. He is averaging 49.50 and striking at 135.15.

Tonight, he will be involved in a game in which his team simply have to win and considering the fact that he will be playing at his ‘home ground’, he will be desperate to get a big score. Kohli averages 83.8 at the Kotla and that perhaps makes him the most important player for RCB in tonight’s encounter.

However, it is his battle with DD’s premier fast bowler Trent Boult that is going to be the talk of the town tonight and if he can get the better of him, then there is every chance of the RCB batting line-up doing something special. That being said, it won’t be easy against Boult, who is one of the best bowlers in the world and has emerged as DD’s top wicket-taker (13 wickets) despite not being in great bowling form.

If DD are to stop the RCB batting star then their star fast bowler would have to deliver a vintage performance and this particular battle is going to be an enthralling watch.

#1 Rishabh Pant v Yuzvendra Chahal

Rishabh Pant

DD might have had a bad season so far but their wicketkeeper-batsman has been one of the best batsmen in the tournament so far and following his outstanding knock in the previous game, Rishabh Pant is going to be the player to watch out for tonight’s game. His outstanding power-hitting has seen him score 521 runs at an average of 52.10 and a barely believable strike rate of 179.65. I

f he gets going then it is very hard to stop him and considering the sort of form he is in, RCB will need a special effort from one of their bowlers to keep him quiet.

The bowler who could be the man to counter Pant’s threat is leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The Indian leg-spinner is an extremely intelligent bowler and in addition to his ability to turn the ball, he can vary his line to unsettle the most brutal hitters in the game.

Chahal has taken eight wickets so far in 10 games but has gone for only 7.93 runs an over and his spell tonight to Pant is going to be the one that could decide the direction of the game.