5 most iconic player battles in IPL history

#2 Chris Gayle vs Ravichandran Ashwin

Gayle was dismissed by Ashwin in the final of the 2011 IPL for a duck

With Chris Gayle never known to be comfortable against off-spinners, especially against the new ball, it is inevitable that he has had made a battle with the likes of Harbhajan Singh and even Suresh Raina at times in the IPL. But the rivalry that really stands out is his with former CSK spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The key battle between the two came in the final of the 2011 IPL, in which RCB needed to score over 200 to chase down CSK's total. The Tamil Nadu bowler, who was opening the bowling, took only 3 balls to dismiss Gayle caught behind. He has dismissed the Universe Boss 4 times in the IPL, and Gayle has also taken Ashwin to the cleaners on occasions.

The pair were teammates at KXIP recently before Ashwin was traded to the Delhi Capitals, and they will rekindle their feud in the 2020 IPL.

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#1 MS Dhoni vs Lasith Malinga

MS Dhoni has whipped out the helicopter shot against Lasith Malinga on many occasions

The greatest finisher the world has ever seen - MS Dhoni - and the greatest death bowler the world has ever seen - Lasith Malinga - are bound to have had numerous intense battles, the IPL is no different.

With MI vs CSK being the marquee clash of every IPL season, Dhoni and Malinga have faced off at the ends of innings in almost every game. The leading wicket-taker in IPL history has dismissed the CSK captain thrice, while conceding 107 runs.

The highlight of their rivalry came in 2012, when Dhoni pulled out the helicopter to a 145 kph-plus delivery and deposited it over mid-wicket. Malinga could only smile as he walked back to his mark, with the shot widely regarded as one of the best in the history of the IPL.

Malinga and Dhoni will once again lock horns in the 2020 edition of the IPL.

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