IPL 2018: Match 39, Player Battles – Virat Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma

The 2018 IPL season is turning out to be yet another disappointment for the Royal Challengers Bangalore who are one defeat away from being knocked out in the league. Inconsistency with the bat and bowling issues meant RCB lost six of the nine matches they’ve played thus far. They will now face the inform Sunrisers in an away fixture from a place where they cannot settle for anything else but a win.

Virat Kohli has failed to reproduce his India form and take his IPL team over the line. Though he has scored 357 runs in nine matches at an average of 51, all his three fifties this season have been in the losing cause. Kohli needs to produce something special for RCB to survive in the tournament as time running out of their hands. The franchise will be hoping for Kohli to score some big runs against his favourite opponent.

Virat Kohli holds the record for scoring the most number of runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He has scored 434 runs against SRH in just nine innings that includes four fifties. However, he will be facing Sandeep Sharma in this match one of the few bowlers who has managed to dismiss Kohli quite often.

The SRH pacer has dismissed Kohli on five occasions in the IPL while playing for KXIP. The current RCB bowling coach, Ashish Nehra (6 times) is the only other bowler to dismiss Kohli on five and more occasions.

Virat Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma:

Despite getting Kohli out five times, Sandeep ended up conceding runs at a strike-rate of 174.19 as the RCB skipper has scored 54 runs in 31 balls. The pacer has been trashed by Kohli whenever he has failed to get him out early on. Kohli has lost his wicket to Sandeep three times for single-digit scores in the IPL including one duck. SRH will be hoping for Sandeep to neutralize the Kohli threat early and further enhance their chances of a win.

(Stats as on May 6, 2018)