When Rajasthan Royals (RR) face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 53 of IPL 2025, a couple of player duels can go a long way in determining the outcome. These one-on-one matchups are derived from previous games and will be thrilling to see when the two sides clash on the ground. Let's look into four crucial player duels. Top 4 Key Player Battles to Watch in KKR vs RR Sno Players 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Harshit Rana 2 Sandeep Sharma vs Ajinkya Rahane 3 Sunil Narine vs Shimron Hetmyer 4 Jofra Archer vs Sunil Narine Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Harshit Rana Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2023 19 7 0 2 3 1 271.4 - 2025 0 2 0 2 0 0 0.0 - Total 19 9 0 4 3 1 211.1 - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals' young opening batman, is a known starter with aggressive beginnings. He has encountered KKR's fast bowler Harshit Rana, two IPL seasons to date 2023 and 2025. During the 2023 season, Jaiswal hammered 19 runs from merely 7 deliveries of Rana. He appeared in total command, scoring 3 fours and a six, and played at a strike rate of more than 270. But things were quite different in their last encounter in 2025. This time around, Harshit bowled two dot balls and did not let Jaiswal score even a single run. Though Rana has not gotten Jaiswal's wicket in any of their encounters, his return in 2025 indicates that the battle has gotten more even. With both the players in rhythm, this is going to be one of the most crucial clashes to look out for when the two teams play each other. Also Read | IPL 2025: Brevis LBW Sparks Controversy After No Timer Shown on Screen Sandeep Sharma vs Ajinkya Rahane Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2015 11 14 0 8 1 0 78.6 - 2016 14 17 2 12 3 0 82.4 7.0 2017 10 15 0 6 0 0 66.7 - 2018 9 10 0 5 1 0 90.0 - 2019 19 12 0 3 2 0 158.3 - 2020 8 9 0 4 1 0 88.9 - 2023 4 2 0 0 0 0 200.0 - Total 75 79 2 38 8 0 94.9 37.5 One other intriguing battle is between RR's veteran swing bowler Sandeep Sharma and KKR's opening order batter Ajinkya Rahane. These two batsmen have clashed repeatedly in the years gone by. Sandeep has bowled 79 times to Rahane in several seasons and has conceded only 75 runs. Twice during this period, Sandeep has managed to get rid of Rahane. Notably is the fact that Sandeep has pitched 38 dot balls against him in all. It reflects Rahane's difficulty in rotating the strike or free scoring against Sandeep. In other seasons such as 2016, Rahane fared worse, getting dismissed twice and scoring a strike rate of about 82. Although Rahane was not necessarily dismissed, he was frequently restricted, and that allowed Sandeep to manage the game. This fight will once more prove crucial, particularly if Sandeep is bowling in the powerplay or initial middle overs when Rahane is attempting to construct his innings. Sunil Narine vs Shimron Hetmyer Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6S SR Avg 2020 7 2 0 0 0 1 350.0 - 2021 0 1 0 1 0 0 0.0 - 2022 1 2 0 1 0 0 50.0 - Total 8 5 0 2 0 1 160.0 - This is a battle between two West Indians KKR's Sunil Narine and RR's Shimron Hetmyer. Whereas Narine is a mystery spinner and tends to bowl in the powerplay and middle overs, Hetmyer is a big hitter, particularly towards the back end. But in their previous encounters, Hetmyer has not had it easy against Narine. He has mustered only 8 runs off 5 balls and hasn't even hit one four. His lone boundary was a six. Narine hasn't got Hetmyer out, but he has been able to restrict him by creating pressure through dot balls. With so little runs have been scored off their encounters till now, this contest may become even more intriguing if Hetmyer attempts to go after him in the middle overs. Also Read | RCB vs CSK: Who Won Yesterday's Match? Jofra Archer vs Sunil Narine Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2019 0 1 0 1 0 0 0.0 - 2020 0 2 0 2 0 0 0.0 - Total 0 3 0 3 0 0 0.0 - One of the rarest matchups is between Jofra Archer of RR and KKR’s all-rounder Sunil Narine. Archer, who bowls with serious pace, has delivered only 3 balls to Narine in IPL 2019 and 2020 combined. Surprisingly, Narine has not scored a single run off those 3 balls. All three overs were dot balls, and while Archer hasn't picked his wicket, he has quite effectively muzzled Narine. This little but incisive battle may well prove crucial in the powerplay. Archer's speed and precision will try and probe Narine once more, particularly if he is intent on attacking right from ball one.