IPL 2018, MI vs RR: 5 players battles to look forward to 

After a shocking start to their campaign, the defending champions Mumbai Indians have roared back into form with 4 wins in their last 5 games and now find themselves at the 5th spot. However, they need to continue to register wins if they are to make the playoffs and the same holds true for their opponents Rajasthan Royals, who are at 6th place with the same number of wins as MI.

Both sides are coming off excellent victories in their previous games and are tonight going to be locked in a contest that neither of them can afford to lose. The personnel of the star-studded teams are also going to be locked in intense battles and those battles are going to have a big impact on the eventual result of the game. Here is a look at the 5 most important battles to look forward to in tonight’s game.

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#5 Evin Lewis v K Gowtham

The West Indian is someone who can take the game away from the opposition fairly quickly if he stays at the wicket for any length of time and therein lies the importance of Evin Lewis in a crunch game like this. He can get MI off to the sort of fast start that is so crucial in T20 cricket and RR must look for a way to take his wicket early on. In their previous game, he made a duck and hence, he will be eager to make amends tonight.

The bowler who could be an excellent option against the left-hander is RR all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham, who has shown that he can be a very capable bowler in the Powerplays. His accurate right-arm off-spin is often quite hard to hit and his economy rate of 7.61 is ample proof that Gowtham can hold his own against the most brutal power-hitters in the business. This is going to be a crucial battle.

#4 Hardik Pandya v Sanju Samson

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has emerged as MI’s highest wicket-taker with 16 scalps so far in 10 games and his spell tonight is going to be absolutely crucial for the team’s chances. In addition to the wicket, he has also proven to be a bowler who does not give away many runs and has recorded an excellent economy rate of 8.18.

He is the sort of ‘hit the deck’ bowler who can be a difficult proposition for many batsmen but in RR’s Sanju Samson, he will come up against a batsman who relishes such bowling. The right-handed batsman relishes playing against fast bowlers and although he has not made a big score recently, he got off to starts in all his previous three games. Samson, who is RR’s 2nd highest run scorer with a total of 353 runs, would like to make it count tonight and it is his battle with Pandya that could well prove to be one of the most important battles in the game.

#3 Ishan Kishan v Ish Sodhi

In his previous game, MI’s wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan played one of the most brutal knocks in this year’s IPL as he smashed the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers around and made 62 off 21 delivers (5 fours, 6 sixes). During that innings, he was particularly took a liking to the spinners and that makes his encounter with RR’s leg-spinner Ish Sodhi such an intriguing one. In 11 games so far, he has recorded an average of 26.44 but it is his strike rate of 160.81 that makes him such a dangerous player.

The Kiwi has given the RR attack the much-needed control that it sorely lacked in the past and in his last three games, Sodhi’s spells have proven to be extremely important to their bowling effort. In the 3 games that he has played so far, he has take only 3 wickets but at the same time, he has recorded a brilliant economy rate of 6.18. His spell is going to be crucial and if Kishan can get on top of him, then it is going to be a long night for RR.

#2 Suryakumar Yadav v Jofra Archer

In the previous encounter between these two sides, both Suryakumar Yadav and Jofra Archer turned in stellar performances. While the MI opener made an excellent 72 (47 balls, 6 fours, 3 sixes), it was Archer who derailed the MI innings with figures of 3 for 22 in 4 overs. Tonight, the battle between these two players is going to be an eagerly anticipated one and Archer’s over in the Powerplay is going to be a testing one for MI’s in-form opening batsman.

The West Indian has picked up 11 wickets in 6 games so far and has recorded an economy rate of 8.58 so far. On the other hand, Yadav has consistently given MI excellent starts and he would like to continue in the same vein. That being said, their opening skirmish is going to set the tone for the MI batting effort and it is going to be a spectacle.

#1 Jasprit Bumrah v Jos Buttler

The ex-MI player returns to Mumbai tonight after having made telling contributions in each of RR’s last three games and Jos Buttler’s last knock (95 not out) ranks among the finest innings in this year’s IPL. He would definitely like to get on over his ex-employers and considering the sort of form he is in, it is definitely a possibility. His elevation to the opener’s slot has proven to be a masterstroke and he is now RR’s top run-scorer with an aggregate of 411 runs.

He has the ability to change the complexion of a game within a matter of overs and the Englishman is particularly dangerous in the Powerplays. However, tonight he will come up against one of the world’s finest bowlers in MI’s Jasprit Bumrah and that is going to be a battle that will have a big impact on the game. The fast bowler has taken12 wickets so far but it is his economy rate of 6.83 that is most impressive. Whoever comes out on top in this battle is probably going to end up on the winning side.