IPL 2019: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Three player battles to watch out for

The cricketing carnival in India, the IPL is all set to entertain the fans starting from 23rd March 2019. The first game of the season will witness the duel between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Considering their head-to-head record, the Chennai Super Kings seem to be a much better team heading into this match. RCB only won one game out of seven while playing at the Chepauk in Chennai. Yet, they can't be taken easily, for, they are one of the strongest teams around. At the IPL 2019 auction, the team managed to make up for the shortcomings of the previous season and looks well-balanced now.

The Super Kings, on the other hand, enter into the tournament as the defending champions. They will look forward to getting off to a positive start in the tournament by making early inroads against RCB. Apart from the main battle between both these teams, there are also a few mini-battles between the players that are to be watched out for.

Here are three player battles to watch out for in the 1st game of the season:

#1 Suresh Raina vs Virat Kohli

Both Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina have been stalwarts in the IPL. They are both terrific performers in the league and are extremely important cogs for their respective sides. Heading into the tournament opener, a mini-battle will be on between both these players.

Raina and Kohli are the first and second highest run-scorers in the IPL respectively. While the left-hander has piled up 4,985 runs in the tournament thus far, the Indian skipper isn't far behind. Kohli scored 4,948 runs in the IPL till date. So when these two step onto the field, there will be many eyes watching them keenly to see who gets to the milestone first.

Watch: The battle between CSK & RCB | The El Classico of IPL