IPL 2018, DD V SRH: 5 player battles to look forward to 

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have won 5 games on the bounce and find themselves at the top of the table. A win against bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils will confirm their place in the playoffs and needless to say, they start favorites in tonight’s game.

In their previous game, DD failed to defend a score against the same opponents and hence, they must be in a bit of a dilemma if they win the toss. Do they bat first again or risk chasing against the best defensive bowling unit in the tournament? For DD captain Shreyas Iyer, it might be a good toss to lose. That being said, it is a must-win game for DD if they are to stay afloat and they need to be at the top of their game whether they bat first or chase.

The result of the game will ultimately be dependent on how some of the head to head battles pan out throughout the course of the game and here are the 5 duels that are going to have a huge bearing on the game.

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#5 Trent Boult v Shikhar Dhawan

After scoring a fluent 33 against DD, SRH opener Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed for 13 in is the previous game against Royal Challengers Bangalore and in tonight’s game at his ‘home ground’ in Delhi, he would definitely want to put on a show. He started the tournament off in fine form but after the injury, he struggled a bit before resurrecting his form somewhat and as the tournament heads towards the business end, the left-hander’s form is going to be very important for the SRH’s batting efforts. In tonight’s game against DD, he will have to weather the opening spell against Trent Boult if he is to score anything substantial and it is a battle that could prove to be pivotal in the larger scheme of things.

The Kiwi has been their best bowler so far with 13 wickets so far in 10 games and has gone for 8.95 runs an over, which is not as bad considering the fact that he bowls during the Powerplays and then again at the death. His opening skirmish will Dhawan will go a long way in deciding the direction of the game.

#4 Amit Mishra v Kane Williamson

He is not a spectacular power-hitter but Kane Williamson goes about his job quietly and has become SRH’s highest run-scorer with an aggregate of 410 runs. The SRH captain is averaging 51.25 and striking at 131.83, which has made him the player around whom the batting can revolve. He is tough to dismiss and when he gets going, he can take on the best bowlers in the business. Hence, DD would need to find a way to get him as soon as possible if they are to derail SRH’s batting effort and their best bet in that regard could be their leg-spinner, Amit Mishra.

After a bit of a horror show in his first game against Kings XI Punjab, the leg-spinner has come back strongly and has become DD’s number 1 spinner again. He may have only taken 6 wickets so far but all those came in his last 4 games and his overall economy rate of 7.40 is ample proof about his role in the DD bowling attack. In the previous game, he returned superb figures of 2/19 in 4 overs and although he could not dismiss Williamson, he would dearly want to add him to his scalps tonight.

#3 Shreyas Iyer v Shakib Al Hasan

The DD captain is the second highest run-scorer in the side with an aggregate of 351 runs and his contributions at the top of the order is going to be of paramount importance against a bowling attack that can get the better of most batsmen. Shreyas Iyer is averaging just over 50 and striking at 149.36, which is why he is well placed to take on SRH’s premier spin bowler Shakib Al Hasan during the middle-overs.

The Bangladeshi all-rounder has been a vital cog in the SRH bowling arsenal and his superb bowling has seen them throttle teams during the middle-overs. He does not only pick up wickets but does not allow many runs either and that makes it imperative for Iyer to ensure that he scores against him. He has picked up 10 wickets in 10 games so far and has recorded an economy rate of only 7.75. DD must find a way to score in the middle-overs and hence, the Iyer v Hasan battle is such an important one.

#2 Prithvi Shaw v Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The elevation of Prithvi Shaw to the top of the order has proven to be an excellent move from DD. The youngster has made 205 runs in 5 games at an average of 41 and more importantly, he has recorded a brilliant strike rate of 170.83. Tonight, he will be up against one of the best bowlers in the world in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and it will be interesting to watch for a number of reasons. First of all, the way he handles him will be interesting and secondly, the opening battles will have a big impact on the game.

Shaw has recorded an incredible strike rate of 168.88 off the first 10 deliveries that he faces in an innings (data from Cricinfo) and that is the third highest in the IPL. So, against an opening batsman who gets going so early, it will be interesting to see how SRH’s star fast bowler handles him. Can Shaw actually get on top of Kumar right from the start or will the world’s premier fast bowler get him early on?

#1 Rishabh Pant v Rashid Khan

The DD wicketkeeper-batsman has emerged as one of the best power-hitters in the tournament and what sets him apart is that he is equally good against both pace and spin. Rishabh Pant is DD’s highest run-scorer with an aggregate of 393 but even more than his average of 39.30, it is his strike rate of 173.12 that is more impressive. That sort of strike-rate for someone who bats in the middle-order is a huge deal and tonight, it is his duel with SRH’s Rashid Khan that will be the talk of the town.

The Afghan is the best T20 spinner in the world and in their previous encounter, Khan trapped the DD batsman leg before. In addition to that, Pant had not been able to hit a single boundary against him and hence, it will be interesting to see if the left-handed batsman can get on top of him in the rerun of this battle. If DD are to win today, then they must score against Rashid Khan and the best bet for them is Rishabh Pant. It is going to be an engrossing battle and one that could have a big impact on the result of the game.