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

#3 Shakib Al Hasan v Shreyas Iyer

The new DD captain has been in fine form for much of this tournament and has scored four half-centuries (including an unbeaten 93) already in 9 games so far. Shreyas Iyer is averaging 51.16 and striking at 154.27 at number 3 for DD and he will be a vital player tonight as his take on the finest bowling attack in the IPL this season. He has the technique to hold is own against most attacks and that is what makes him such an important player.

One of the most intriguing battles tonight will be the one between the DD captain and SRH’s Shakib Al Hasan. The Bangladeshi all-rounder has emerged as one of the best spinners in the IPL so far and his fast, accurate left-arm spin has been difficult to get away for most teams. The sort of control that he provides in the middle-overs has been a big factor in SRH defending paltry totals. Hasan has taken 8 wickets and recorded an economy rate of 7.21 in 8 games. Iyer can be excellent against spin but tonight he will be faced with a completely new challenge and this is a duel that will almost certainly have a huge bearing on the DD batting effort.