Dinesh Karthik | File Photo
Dinesh Karthik has been a force to reckon with as a finisher in a recent while. His exploits in the IPL have given him a second wind in the Indian T20 team and kept alive his dream of winning India a World Cup.
Although Karthik did not get to bat much in the 1st T20 vs South Africa, the RCB batsman would surely like to make an impact in the 2nd T20 in Cuttack. Before all the action begins, BCCI shared a fun segment on Twitter featuring Karthik where he answered a few questions relating to his personal preferences.
Dinesh Karthik was asked many questions, but his choices between the legends of Football and Tennis grabbed a lot of eyeballs. On being asked to pick one between Ronaldo and Messi, he chose Messi, stating that Lionel is different from others and he enjoys watching him play.
When asked to choose between Federer and Nadal, Karthik was quick to pick Federer, stating that he has always looked up to him and likes the way he carries himself on and off the field.
As far as the 2nd T20 is concerned, India will look to bounce back after a nightmare of a match in Delhi. Once the match begins, here are the player battles to watch out for.
Chahal vs De Kock
De Kock was itching to go big in the first T20. It was Chahal's first over that SA stepped on the gas and smacked 16 runs off it. Captain's have used Chahal inside the Powerplay quite a lot, and one bad over or game won't change that much.
But it will be interesting to see, how Chahal goes about his business after a bad outing in the first fixture. QDK too will be motivated to score big this time. The SA wk-batsman has a tremendous record against India - scoring 159 runs in 4 innings at a strike rate of 143.20.
Hardik Pandya vs Rabada
Pandya marked his return to international cricket in some style as he raced away to 31 off 12 deliveries. Rabada, however, did not have a great outing and was smacked left, right and centre.
Both of them are world-class players. While Rabada would want to make a strong statement in the 2nd T20, Pandya would like to continue the good work he's known for.
A finisher of Pandya's quality taking on Rabada at the end or during the slog overs is always a sight to behold.
Harshal Patel vs David Miller
Miller has been in the form of his life. Right from the start of IPL, he has been winning matches for his team single-handedly. If the first T20 in Delhi was anything to go by, Miller isn't stopping any time soon.
Patel, on the other hand, like all Indian bowlers, was taken to the cleaners. He is being looked at as the death-over specialist heading into the T20 World Cup, and the Indian dug-out would expect him to make a strong comeback.
And what better way for him to mark his return than stopping the man of the moment - David Miller himself.
