IPL 2021: 3 player battles to watch out for in DC VS RCB
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday (April 27).
RCB is coming off a heavy loss to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), while Delhi were victorious in their last match courtesy of a super over win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The high-octane contest between the second and third-placed teams will make for an interesting watch for the spectators.
On a tricky Ahmedabad surface, let's take a look at some of the key player battles that might determine the outcome of the match tonight.
#1 RCB skipper Virat Kohli vs Chris Woakes
Virat Kohli has a stellar record against the capital franchise with 897 runs at an average of 59.80 and a strike rate of 136.53.
He will be up against the dangerous Chris Woakes. Woakes has the pace and consistency to trouble any batsmen in the world and has delivered for DC with the ball this season.
Woakes comes into the game with five wickets to his name and will be keen to dismiss Kohli early on in the innings.
Kohli has had a mixed run in the IPL this season. While he has started sharply on quite a few occasions, the Indian captain has only been able to convert one of those starts into a big score. The RCB skipper will look to get more runs under his belt against DC.
#2 Shikhar Dhawan vs Mohammed Siraj
Siraj has been one of RCB's most impressive bowlers and has managed to keep the opposition quiet with his mixed bag of variations. While he may not have the wickets to show for it, his intelligent bowling has seen other bowlers reap the benefits of the pressure created by him.
Dhawan has been Delhi's mainstay with the bat and leads the run-scorers chart with 259 runs from five games. He's already struck two fifties in the tournament and has made sure DC gets off to a breezy start more often than not. His experience vs Siraj's deceit will make for an interesting match-up.
#3 Glenn Maxwell vs Amit Mishra
Maxwell has been RCB's most reliable middle-order batsman this season with a mature, yet attacking approach that has augured the team well. With 198 runs from five games, the Aussie has brought in the much-needed stability RCB lacked over the last few seasons.
Amit Mishra has had the better of Maxwell, dismissing him four times in the IPL. He is DC's frontline spinner and will look to dismiss Maxwell for a fifth time in the tournament when the two sides clash tonight.