IPL 2018 RR vs RCB: 5 player battles to look forward to between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore

The afternoon game today is a virtual knockout between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore and needless to say, the weekend fixtures are getting underway with a high-voltage clash.

However, RCB will hold the advantage in this game, not only because they are coming off an excellent win in their previous game but also because of the fact that RR’s stars Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes have departed for England.

The Jos Buttler sized hole at the top of the order would be tough to fill and the other RR batsmen would need to lift their game if they are to give themselves the chance of making it to the playoffs. That being said, RR are not going to give an inch to their opponents and due to the high stakes nature of the game, a close contest can be expected.

The game will also see some explosive individual battles and here is a look at 5 of the most important ones.

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#5 Rahul Tripathi vs Tim Southee

Tim Southee

The RR batsman has been a victim of poor handling this season in the IPL. Rahul Tripathi’s performance as an opener for last year’s finalist Rising Pune Supergiant was a big factor in the team’s success and it was no surprise when RR paid Rs. 3.4 crores for his services.

However, instead of sending him to open he was played in the middle-order and in RR’s last game, he seems to have got back his position. In the absence of Buttler, he would have to come good today against RCB and his battle against Tim Southee is going to be a very important one.

The Kiwi has shored up the RCB attack and his opening spell to Tripathi is going to be an entertaining one, if not anything else. Tripathi will try to go after him and it is going to be interesting to see what strategy Southee adopts against him. If the former can get on top of the latter, then it would be a big boost for the home side.

#4 Ish Sodhi vs Virat Kohli

RR would need Ish Sodhi to perform with the ball today

Virat Kohli is the tournament’s 6th highest run scorer with an aggregate of 526 runs so far and with an average of 52.60, to go along with a strike rate of 141.39; he is going to have a big influence on the game one way or another. If he gets into his groove, then there is every chance that he might run away with the game and hence RR need to find a way of getting him early. If not, they need to at least keep him quiet.

The man for the job could well be their overseas leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and considering how the RCB captain got out to Rashid Khan in the previous game, it is something that the RR management must have on their minds.

He has been their best bowler as far as economy rate is concerned and having given away only 5.93 runs an over in 4 games, Sodhi is a vitally important player for their bowling effort. His accuracy, intelligence and varieties will be a challenge for Kohli.

However, he is a player who knows how to tackle challenges. That being said, it is going to be a very interesting duel and one that would almost certainly have a big impact on the game.

#3 Ajinkya Rahane vs Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav

Ajinkya Rahane has not had the best of seasons in the IPL so far but in the absence of Buttler, he would need to rise to the occasion and play a substantial knock at the top of the order for RR.

He is averaging 26.45 and striking at only 120.74, but today, he would definitely need to raise his game and the biggest challenge he will face will be in the opening exchanges with RCB’s Umesh Yadav.

The Indian fast bowler has been the best bowler in the RCB side and the primary source of early wickets for the Virat Kohli-led team. Yadav has taken 17 wickets so far in 13 games and has gone for less than 8 runs an over.

His opening burst is going to be a test for Rahane and although he can handle himself against pace, it remains to be seen if he can go after him. This is going to be a very intriguing battle between two India team-mates.

#2 Sanju Samson vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Sanju Samson

The last time these two teams played each other, it was Sanju Samson who stole the show with a brutal 45-ball 92 (2 fours, 10 sixes) and while the RR wicketkeeper-batsman was brutal on the RCB bowler, Yuzvendra Chahal held his own. He returned figures of 2/22 in 4 overs and in today’s game, he would be the bowler who must try to get Samson out.

If not, Chahal can, of course, keep things tight and hope he does something rash. It is a battle that is going to have a big say on the RR batting effort and the RCB leg-spinner’s impressive numbers so far indicate that he is going to have a big role to play for the visitors.

He has taken 12 wickets in 13 games and has recorded an economy rate of 7.32. On the other hand, Samson’s recent form has been patchy and in this crucial battle, the RR player would need to buck the trend.

#1 Jofra Archer vs AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers

Is there a more destructive batsman in the world? There might be some who can come close but when AB de Villiers is in full flow then it is almost impossible for the fielding side to stop the bleeding.

Considering the sort of form he has been in this tournament, he is going to be the most prized wicket for RR and the contest that is going to be an explosive one is the one he will have with Jofra Archer.

De Villiers is averaging 53.37 and striking at 177.92, which goes to show the sort of carnage he has unleashed this season but in Archer, RR have a bowler who is included among the finest T20 fast bowlers in the world.

He has pace, can bowler a superb yorker and bouncer and most importantly, he is intelligent enough to negotiate the pyrotechnics of modern batsmen. However, De Villiers is a different kettle of fish altogether and since, this is the first time that Archer is going to go head to head with the South African, this clash has an enormous pull for spectators. It could be an epic.

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