IPL 2018: Five interesting battles to look out for during this season

The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will begin on April 7 and this season promises to be a big one with high international quality players going against each other. IPL has always pitted stars against stars and what if players from the same country face up against each other and how that will unfold.

Here’s a list of five interesting battles to look out for:

1. Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah:

Indian cricket captain and undisputed No 1 batsman Virat Kohli is currently going through a purple patch and no bowler has got an idea of how to stop him. On, the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah has risen so quickly that he has now become go to bowler for Kohli in limited overs cricket. What if RCB needs 10 runs in the last over and Kohli is batting on 95 and Bumrah is bowling the last over. How will Bumrah stop Kohli? Can Bumrah pull one over Kohli and stop his juggernaut and if yes then how? This match up looks very intense and we could either have Kohli hitting the winning six or Bumrah uprooting Kohli’s middle stump.

2. Chris Gayle vs Sunil Narine:

The universal boss i.e. Chris Gayle might be getting on with the age, but he is still very powerful and fearful. Sunil Narine is a magician with a ball in his hand and apart from his Mohawk hairstyle is also a deadly bowler. Gayle likes to dominate and hit big sixes, but Narine would be desperate to stop the carnage and if he gets rid of Gayle then more than half the battle is over. Gayle might come across as big and burly, but he thinks about the game a lot and would no doubt have a plan to counter Sunil Narine.

3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni vs Ravichandran Ashwin:

This match up would be fought by mental battles as both Dhoni and Ashwin think deeply about the game. The inventor of the helicopter shot knows everything about Ashwin because of keeping wickets to him for India and CSK and is very methodical when it comes to taking on spinners. Ashwin knowing Dhoni’s game would try variations and could even try leg spin that he is working on. Whoever wins this battle would help his team get a big advantage.

4. AB de Villiers vs Kagiso Rabada:

South African superstar vs South African speedster contest sounds mouth-watering and both the individuals are very competitive. AB de Villiers is a 360-degree player and plays all kinds of shots, but to play them against Rabada’s 150 kph thunderbolts wouldn’t be that easy. Rabada bowls with extreme pace and likes to win every battle and de Villiers is a match winner in his own right. This contest could go either way and would KG also give a send-off to AB when he takes his wicket, will tell us about the psyche of Protea quick.

5. Hardik Pandya vs Yuzvendra Chahal:

India’s highly rated all-rounder Hardik Pandya likes to dominate spinners and is not afraid to try new things. Yuzvendra Chahal might be short in stature but has got a big heart and is a ferocious cricketer. How Chahal stops Pandya would impact the game and if Pandya gets on a roll and hits three sixes in a row then Chahal would have to think on his feet. The Indian leggie might not be a big turner of the ball, but is very tactful and Pandya would be doing a big mistake if he takes Haryana leggie lightly.