Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) are all set to play host to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match no. 50 of the Pepsi India Premier League (IPL) 2015 in Mohali on Wednesday.
RCB will have the edge over reeling KXIP, who have now lost seven games in a row. RCB will depend on their top three star batsmen Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Ab de Villiers.
KXIP on the other hand, saw David Miller and Glenn Maxwell showing some sort of form in their last two matches. A win will only add to their pride and put more pressure on RCB, who will then have to win their remaining games.
Let's look at some of the key battles in this match:
Chris Gayle Vs Sandeep Sharma: Gayle can take any bowler in the world to the cleaners and KXIP have already faced his wrath with the bat. They would want to get the big Caribbean out as early as possible to stop the run flow. And none other than Sandeep Sharma can do this. His ability to swing the ball in both directions have earned him wickets in this tournament.
Virat Kohli Vs Anureet Singh: Kohli has also looked in good touch in this tournament after a scratchy start. Kohli has tried to lead his side from the front and has also played the perfect supporting role to Gayle and de Villiers. He can also shift gears when needed and that's what makes him a world class batsman. Anureet Singh will have to be consistent with his yorker length deliveries in order to curb the run rate. He can't allow Kohli to free his arms and should not bowl at his pads.
Ab de Villiers Vs Axar Patel: De Villiers too alongside Gayle and Kohli has had a fantastic tournament so far and would look to continue to do what he did to Mumbai Indians in their last game. Patel on the other hand has not been impressive at all in this edition of the IPL. He was the emerging players for KXIP in the last season. He has to bowl well in order to fox this world-class batsman who is in terrific form.
Mitchell Starc Vs David Miller: Starc has completely changed the outlook of the RCB bowling attack. He has already managed to pick up 16 wickets in eight games with an amazing average of just over 10. He would look to dismiss Miller early, as they would be wary of this South African who can win a game for his side single-handedly. He almost did the same in their last game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
