3 player battles to watch out for in RCB vs SRH, Match 65 of IPL 2025 ft. Virat Kohli

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 65th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday, May 23, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium. The match was shifted to Lucknow due to the prevailing weather conditions in Bengaluru.

RCB have already qualified for the playoffs and are second in the table with 17 points from 12 matches. They have an excellent record away from home in IPL 2025 and will look to continue the winning run to strengthen their chance of finishing in the top two.

SRH, on the other hand, have just been a shadow of their last season. The SunRisers have struggled for consistency, and with the top order failing to contribute significantly, they have mainly languished in the bottom half of the points table. They secured a thumping victory in the last game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and will look to keep the momentum going.

Both teams have world-class players on their rosters, and a cracking contest is on the cards. On that note, let's look at three interesting player battles to watch out for in tonight's game.

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#1 Virat Kohli vs Pat Cummins

The former RCB skipper has had another excellent season with the bat, leading their batting unit from the front. He has amassed 505 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 143.46, including seven half-centuries.

With the playoffs only a few days away, Virat Kohli will look to continue the fine form as Bengaluru chase their maiden IPL trophy. However, he could be challenged by SRH skipper Pat Cummins, who has bowled exceedingly with the new ball in the last few games.

Kohli has a good record in their head-to-head meetings in the shortest format, scoring 66 runs off 49 deliveries while getting out only once.

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#2 Abhishek Sharma vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The SRH opener has struggled for consistency, but whenever he has been in full flow, watching Abhishek Sharma bat has been a treat. The southpaw looked in sublime touch during his quickfire half-century against the Lucknow Super Giants in the previous game.

Abhishek will look to continue the blazing form and end the IPL 2025 campaign on a high note. However, the youngster could face some challenges when he faces former SRH player Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The experienced seamer is a magician with the new ball, and his duel with Abhishek in the powerplay will set up the game.

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#3 Tim David vs Harshal Patel

The Australian all-rounder has nailed the finisher's role to perfection for RCB this season, striking at almost 200. Harshal Patel, who operates in the death overs for SRH, will be tasked with containing Tim David from scoring freely.

Harshal has an excellent slower delivery, which could pose a threat to David, who generally likes the ball coming onto the bat nicely. This duel could very well decide the outcome of the match.