DD vs RR Star Wars: Krishnappa Gowtham vs Colin Munro

Krishnappa Gowtham goes up against one of the explosive opening batsmen this IPL, having already had a good level of success bowling with the new ball.

The Karnataka off-spinner, has grown in stature over the course of this season. His batting came to the fore against Mumbai Indians and, with the ball, Gowtham has delivered crucial wickets for Rajasthan.

Delhi Daredevils takes on Rajasthan Royals on day 26 of IPL 2018, with both teams needing a win, Delhi more so than Rajasthan having played a match more and having two points less.

One battle that could have a bearing on the match is between Krishnappa Gowtham and Colin Munro.

Gowtham, the Karnataka off-spinner, has grown in stature over the course of this season. His batting came to the fore against Mumbai Indians and, with the ball, Gowtham has delivered crucial wickets for Rajasthan.

In the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad last Sunday, Gowtham was brought on with the new ball and he delivered the goods by picking the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan before returning later in the innings to remove Alex Hales. Chris Lynn of Kolkata Knight Riders is another of the opening batsmen Gowtham has dismissed with his fast, accurate off-breaks. 

Going up against Munro, Gowtham's objective will be to tie the New Zealand batsman down first and foremost. The Feroze Shah Kotla pitch is also likely to aid him with a bit of natural variation and turn, elements that are foreign to Munro. 

Munro, though, comes into this match on the back of a couple of good scores (33, 26) against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. He has the array of strokes, the switch hit and reverse sweep, for instance, to put Gowtham off his line and length.