IPL 2019: 5 Player battles to watch out for

#2 Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) vs Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

Buttler celebrates after scoring a half century

Three wins in seven games. Rajasthan Royals were facing defeat against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). They required 151 to chase off 12 overs and it was clear that their usual approach to the game wouldn't work.

They needed someone to step up, and that man was Jos Buttler. He was promoted to open the batting and smashed 67 off just 26 balls.

Though Rajasthan lost the match by 4 runs, they had found their savior. Before this match their qualification seemed unlikely, but they eventually made it thanks to Jos Buttler.

Buttler hasn't got enough credit for what he's done, and he doesn't seem to be affected by it. Those effortless classical strokes, that ruthless bludgeoning of the ball and those delicate scoops and chips all seem to be under complete control when he's batting.

The cold, calculating look in his eyes surprises you when he unleashes the shot, for all that comes out is heat - and the heat oppresses the bowler and torments him.

Buttler scored five consecutive half-centuries last season. The utter ease which with he plays his shots reminds me of another player who didn't care about what people said and went about his style of playing the game, however unorthodox it may have been.

Jasprit Bumrah at first didn't catch the eye of viewers with his energetic pace and bounce, yorkers or deceptive slower ones. Instead, he grabbed their attention with his unique, 'weird' and confusing bowling action.

The angle it created made things difficult for the batsmen and once Bumrah learnt to control it, he became a menace to face.

What will happen when these two players go up against each other? Bumrah got the better of Buttler the first time they met, but Buttler owned the show in their second meeting.

What happens when deceptive slower ones meet out-of-the-box shots, deadly yorkers meet an ever-ready bat, and sheer brilliance meets pure class?

I'm waiting to find out just like you.