IPL 2018: 3 key battles that will decide who wins in the RCB vs RR clash

After a gap of two years, Royal Challengers Bangalore host Rajasthan Royals at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. Both teams have won a game each and will look forward to carrying the momentum. The matches between these two sides are keenly contested with the Red Army having a slight edge, with RCB winning 8 while the Royals have won7. In their rivalry, neither team has managed to win three consecutive games against each other.

In this edition of the IPL, Rajasthan is the only team who have won after defending a total. Although it was a rain-curtailed match, the team from Jaipur managed to stop the likes of Glen Maxwell, Rishabh Pant, and Chris Morris from chasing.

Like Delhi, RCB also have big hitters in Brendan McCullum, De Kock, and AB De Villers. It will be an exciting contest between Rajasthan's bowling and the Red Army's batting.

Here are the three key battles that will decide who comes on top:

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#3 Chris Woakes vs Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes-Costliest foreign player

The battle between the two Englishmen promises to be an exciting one. Last season, Ben Stokes was the most valuable player for Pune, and this year the visiting team grabbed him for a whopping Rs. 12.5 crore. On the other hand, Kohli's team picked up Chris Woakes to strengthen their fragile bowling unit.

Stokes had a poor start in the IPL and was dismissed for just five runs against SRH. The 26-year-old batsman started off well against DD, but he could not convert it into a big score. Notably, on both occasions, he was dismissed by a pacer.

The pitch in Bangalore is known to be a batting paradise and will help Stokes play the big shots. He will be up against Chris Woakes who bowls at a quick pace, with speeds touching 140 kph mark, and also hits the deck hard.

The RCB bowler had a poor outing versus Punjab with KL Rahul smashing him all over the park. For him to have any chance to pick up the wicket of Stokes, he needs to use his variations and not allow his fellow Englishman to settle. But with smaller a boundary and a license to hit, the scales are slightly tilted in Stoke's favor, to come out on top.

#2 Washington Sundar vs Sanju Samson

Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar has had a phenomenal year, with the highlight being him bagging the Man of the Series award in the recent Nidahas trophy. He picked up eight wickets at an impressive economy rate of 5.8 in five matches.

The 19-year-old spinner had a poor outing against KKR where he conceded 48 runs. He bounced back against Punjab where he scalped the big wicket of K L Rahul and finished the match with 2 for 22 runs.

Sanju Samson had a terrific Ranji season, averaging 58 and scoring two centuries. The youngster from Kerala played an explosive knock of 37(22 balls) against Delhi Daredevils.

During last year's IPL, he showed his mettle against the spinners. He blasted Adam Zampa for 19 runs and scored a century in 63 balls. In this battle of the youngsters, Sundar has a slight edge as he bowls a tight line and length. Sanju Samson is a talented batsman and will play some unorthodox shots to unsettle the young bowler from Tamil Nadu.

#1 Umesh Yadav vs Ajinkya Rahane

Umesh Yadav

The 30-year-old bowler from Vidarbha couldn't make it to the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka earlier this year. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bhumrah in good form, it has been difficult for him to get into the team.

Kohli's side shelled out Rs 4.20 crore to rope in Umesh Yadav, and he scalped three big wickets in an over against Punjab.

Umesh will be up against Ajinkya Rahane in the powerplay. The 29-year-old batsman from Mumbai is technically sound and is one of the few players who plays orthodox shots in this format of the game.

The visiting team will depend heavily on the pair of Rahane and Short to give them a flying start in case they are chasing a mammoth total. With Umesh Yadav in such sizzling form expect him to fizzle out Rahane and give RCB a solid start.