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

Table laggards Delhi Daredevils will try to get their stuttering campaign back on track when they host Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The Virat Kohli-led team has failed to impress in this year's IPL, and have just won three games so far. Another defeat will leave The Red Army out of contention for the playoff spot.

Delhi too is in the same boat as RCB, as they also have secured victory in three matches in their eleven fixtures so far. The matches between these two sides have been lopsided affairs, with the RCB having a huge edge, as they have won 13, while the DD have won just 6. Notably, RCB has registered 9 consecutive wins against the Daredevils.

With both the sides having explosive batsmen at their disposal, the team which bowls well will come out on top.

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

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#1 Virat Kohli vs Trent Boult

Trent Boult

Virat Kohli has been in prolific form in this year's IPL with 396 runs in 10 matches. He has played some fantastic shots and often waged a lonely battle against opposition teams. In the match against Mumbai, the Indian skipper also became the highest run-getter in the history of IPL with 4619 runs at an astounding average of 38.17.

He will be against Trent Boult who is known for his ability to swing the new ball and cleverly mix the pace/lengths at the death overs. Boult has bowled exceptionally well and picked up 13 wickets at an average of 29.

The Red Army skipper has struggled against quality pace bowling and swing in the past. With Boult continuously hitting the 145 km/h mark, DD will bank on him to give them a rollicking start. With the home team being heavily dependent on their captain, it will be interesting to see how King Kohli negates the swing of Boult.

#2 AB De Villers vs Amit Mishra

AB De Villers

The South African has had a sedate start to the IPL by his standards. He has lacked consistency and not timed the ball well. He will be up against his former franchise against whom he played a match-winning knock of 90 runs off just 39 balls. Something similar would be expected from De Villers today.

He will have to battle it out against Amit Mishra. Mishra likes to give the ball air, and his variations can unsettle any batsmen. In this season of IPL, he has impressed by taking wickets at crucial junctures. He has been an economical bowler and has taken 6 wickets at an economy of 7.68.

It is time for fan favorite AB De Villers to step up and help RCB to get their campaign back on track. For that, he needs to counter Mishra's leg spin and not make any more mistakes while playing the pull shot.

#3 Umesh Yadav vs Jason Roy

Umesh Yadav was on fire against Mumbai

Delhi Daredevils have one of the most destructive T20 batsmen in their line up in Jason Roy. Even though he has not regularly featured in DD's matches, in the limited opportunities that he has got, Roy has played well. One of his best knocks was against Mumbai where he scored an unbeaten 91 and guided Delhi Daredevils to victory at the Wankhede Stadium.

Umesh Yadav has helped RCB to contain the opposition in the powerplay by taking wickets. He is having one of his best seasons in IPL and has troubled batsmen with his pace and swing. With fourteen wickets so far, he has been one of the standout performers for RCB.

While Delhi will depend on Roy to give them a brisk start, it will be interesting to see what tactic Yadav uses against the Englishman. The scales are slightly tilted in Roy's favor as Umesh has sometimes been inconsistent with his bowling. With the pitch aiding batting, Roy will start as the favorite in this key battle.