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

#4 Ben Stokes v Mayank Markande

He is the best all-rounder in the world and ended up as the player of the tournament in last year’s IPL but Ben Stokes has not been at his best this year so far. A big game against the defending champions could just be the perfect occasion for him to come good. He is averaging 21.40 and striking at only 120.22 but in his last outing, he made 45 and seemed to have got back into some sort of hitting form. If he gets going, then MI might find themselves at a loss.

However, it is interesting to note that in 3 out of 5 innings, he has been dismissed by leg-spinners and therein lies the opportunity for Mayank Markande. He has been a revelation in the tournament so far and has taken 8 wickets so far, with an economy rate of 7.53. His duel against Stokes is going to be one of the most important ones in the game and if he can claim the England all-rounder’s wicket early, then RR’s innings could be derailed.