SRH vs RR, IPL 2023: 3 player battles to watch out for

IPL 2023 will continue today with another double-header contest. SunRisers Hyderabad will lock horns with inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals in the first match of the day, followed by a clash between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians.

Speaking of the game between the Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad, the two teams will meet in an afternoon game at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. The rivalry between RR and SRH has been a closely-contested one, with both franchises winning eight matches against each other.

SRH and RR met once in IPL 2022, where a half-century from captain Sanju Samson guided the Royals to a big win against the Orange Army. RR will look forward to replicating the same performance, while a new-look SRH squad will try to start their IPL 2023 season with a win on home soil.

Before the clash between the Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad starts, here's a look at the three player battles that may determine the fate of this match.

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#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler won the Orange Cap last season for his phenomenal batting performances. Buttler performed consistently for the Royals, helping them reach the final of the tournament.

SunRisers Hyderabad will be determined to dismiss Buttler cheaply in the upcoming IPL 2023 fixture, especially considering that the RR opener scored a hundred against them in the 2021 season. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will have the responsibility of dismissing Buttler.

Kumar has troubled Buttler with his swing bowling in the past. If he manages to dismiss the English batter in the powerplay overs, SunRisers Hyderabad will gain the upper hand in their opening game of IPL 2023.

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#2 Riyan Parag vs T Natarajan

Ahead of IPL 2023, Rajasthan Royals' all-rounder Riyan Parag made a bold prediction and claimed that he would hit four sixes in an over during one of the games this season. Parag will take the field for the first time in the new IPL season today.

The all-rounder has received criticism from cricket experts for his inconsistent performances. He will have an opportunity to silence his critics today when he goes up against one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament.

T Natarajan will likely bowl in the death overs for the SunRisers Hyderabad. The potential battle between Natarajan and Parag will draw a lot of attention from the fans.

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#3 Yuzvendra Chahal vs Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma was one of the few bright spots for SRH in their previous IPL season. The young opener scored runs consistently for the Orange Army. Sharma had a forgettable outing against the Rajasthan Royals, though, as he managed only nine runs off 19 balls.

Yuzvendra Chahal picked up Abhishek Sharma's wicket last year (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Sharma when the Rajasthan Royals took on the SunRisers Hyderabad last season. Sharma will try to avenge that dismissal when he faces Chahal today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

The IPL 2023 match between SRH and RR will start at 3:30 PM IST. It will be interesting to see which team comes out on top today.