Both the sides are level on points after winning one out of four with KKR ahead of RR on the table only on net run rate.
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Two sides that have not had the best of starts in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) will face off in match 18 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are level on points, after managing to secure only one victory from their four opening matches. KKR currently sit at sixth while RR are at the bottom. While the Knight Riders did put up a valiant effort in their defeat against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the Royals were completely battered by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and based on previous performances, bookies would probably put their money on the purple and gold to take the points home.
The match does, however, promise to showcase a few exciting individual battles. Neither side is short on quality and if the players are in a decent run of form, it could make for an enthralling evening of cricket. Here are the five key battles to look out for in RR vs KKR.
The two all-rounders are both valuable assets to their respective teams. Both can get the job done with the ball and the bat. They are both explosive batsmen in nature and can also take wickets at crucial times. Bo0th players would look to make their mark on the match and their battle could be interesting.
Two of Bangaldesh’s top cricketers, Shakib and Mustafizur are very familiar with each other since they have played several times together for their national side. There promises to be a feisty encounter when Shakib faces Fizz’s bowling spell.
The English batter and the Aussie bowler could have a feisty competition. Both are in a decent run of form and it would be interesting to see how Buttler handles Cummins’ pace.
Another pair of players who are in a rich vein of form, Sakariya and Rana, are in the race for the Purple and Orange Caps respectively. The two seem to be at the top of their game and their battle promises to be an enthralling encounter.
Despite being on the losing end in both of their previous matches, Tewatia and Chakravarthy have put in decent performances in the last few games. The two are the dark horses in their sides and their unpredictability makes this contest all the more exciting.
