IPL 2021, PBKS vs SRH: 3 player battles to watch out for

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have struggled in IPL 2021. David Warner's men are yet to register a win, while the new-look PBKS outfit have struggled since winning their season opener against the Rajasthan Royals.

The two sides meet at the MA Chidambaram Stadium where SRH have played all their games of IPL 2021 so far. After their Mumbai leg, KL Rahul and his men have now come down south for what promises to be a thrilling encounter on Wednesday (April 21).

Under pressure will be SRH as they will be aware of the world-class batting PBKS bring to the table. However, they also have a bowling unit to decimate any strong batting lineup in the league.

Let's take a look at some of the key player battles ahead of the game.

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#1 KL Rahul vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

KL Rahul has had a good run with the bat so far and is third on the list of leading run-scorers in the tournament. With 157 runs from three matches and an average of 52.33, Rahul will look to lead from the front again as PBKS look to get back to winning ways.

Bhuvi has scalped just two wickets in the last three games and will be keen to make a mark in this edition of the IPL for SRH. His economy rate of 10.00 might raise a few eyebrows, but all it takes is one good spell to turn things around for SRH.

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#2 David Warner vs Mohammed Shami

Warner is yet to make a mark in the tournament and will target a struggling side like PBKS to get some runs. His top score of 54 so far seems to be a flash in the pan after the side has lost three back-to-back games.

Shami has blown quite hot and cold himself with just four wickets from three games. The responsibility of leading a young bowling attack means he has to be on top of his game on a slow Chennai track.

Shami comes into this game with an economy of 8.89 and will look to wreak havoc on Warner and the top order in his early spell to peg SRH on the backfoot.

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#3 Rashid Khan vs Chris Gayle

A classic hard-hitting vs spin wizardry battle is in the offing as the two heavyweights will take on each other at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The slow turner puts SRH's Rashid at an advantage as he looks to bamboozle Gayle, but the veteran specialist knows a thing or two about playing spin.