The IPL 2025 is getting hotter with some thrilling confrontations, and one of the most anticipated games is between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Both teams have solid line-ups with match-winners. But what makes the game even more intriguing is the individual duels between players. There are some players who have already played against each other, and their records give us a pretty clear idea of what to expect. Let us consider five crucial player duels that can prove to be quite decisive in Match 21 of IPL 2025. Top 5 Key Player Battles to Watch in KKR vs LSG Sno Players 1 Venkatesh Iyer vs Shardul Thakur 2 Harshit Rana vs Mitchell Marsh 3 Varun Chakravarthy vs Nicholas Pooran 4 Andre Russell vs Ravi Bishnoi 5 Sunil Narine vs Ayush Badoni Venkatesh Iyer vs Shardul Thakur Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2021 8 4 2 2 2 0 200.0 4.0 2022 17 8 0 2 0 2 212.5 - Total 25 12 2 4 2 2 208.3 12.5 Venkatesh Iyer and Shardul Thakur have played against each other a couple of times. Venkatesh has amassed 25 runs in total from only 12 balls against Shardul in IPL games. Although those runs were at a highly astronomical strike rate of more than 200, Shardul has been able to get Venkatesh out twice as well. In the year 2021, Shardul got him out twice whereas Venkatesh had scored a mere 8 runs. But Venkatesh rebounded in 2022 with 17 runs off mere 8 balls without losing his wicket. This contest will be pivotal in the beginning of KKR's innings. Venkatesh may get into groove and create pressure on LSG early, but Shardul's ability to grab wickets can stall him prematurely. Also Read | 100 IPL wickets for Mohammad Siraj, 26th player to do so Harshit Rana vs Mitchell Marsh Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2022 6 3 1 1 1 0 200.0 6.0 Total 6 3 1 1 1 0 200.0 6.0 This encounter is brief but significant. Harshit Rana bowled to Mitchell Marsh in one of the matches in 2022. Marsh made 6 runs off 3 balls, but Harshit got him out. Marsh is a big hitter and enjoys dominating bowlers, but Harshit's skill of getting him out early can be a decisive factor. If Marsh walks in in the middle, this can be a thrilling showdown. Harshit will attempt to hold it close and try for the wicket once more, whereas Marsh will try to attack right from the beginning. Varun Chakravarthy vs Nicholas Pooran Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2020 5 4 0 2 1 0 125.0 - 2021 21 13 2 5 1 2 161.5 10.5 2022 2 3 0 1 0 0 66.7 - 2023 23 9 0 2 2 2 255.6 - 2024 17 13 0 6 0 2 130.8 - Total 68 42 2 16 4 6 161.9 34.0 This is also one of the most thrilling encounters to view. Varun Chakravarthy has bowled numerous times against Nicholas Pooran in all these years. Pooran has made 68 runs from 42 deliveries against him in IPL matches. Though Varun has rejected him twice, Pooran has also struck some sixes and fours, such as 6 sixes and 4 fours. His strike rate against Varun is very high, more than 160, indicating that he doesn't hesitate. But Varun is a crafty spinner and can pick up wickets with accumulated pressure. Varun rejected Pooran twice in 2021 in the same year. But Pooran was in control in 2023, making 23 runs in only 9 balls. This war between spin and strength might alter the fate of the match. Also Read | Sehwag Applauds RR’s Release of Ashwin & Chahal – Kartik Left Red-Faced! Andre Russell vs Ravi Bishnoi Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2021 1 2 0 1 0 0 50.0 - 2022 9 6 0 2 0 1 150.0 - 2023 6 4 1 3 0 1 150.0 6.0 2024 1 2 0 1 0 0 50.0 - Total 17 14 1 7 0 2 121.4 17.0 Andre Russell is a big-hitting man, and Ravi Bishnoi is one of the most talented young spinners in the world. Whenever these two faced each other, Bishnoi has performed fairly well. Russell has only scored 17 runs in 14 balls against Bishnoi and has managed to hit just 2 sixes. B ishnoi has also got Russell out once, in 2023. Surprisingly, Russell hasn't managed to hit even a single four against Bishnoi in all their encounters. The spinner has been able to silence him for the most part, relying on his shrewd variations. Russell will look to break free this time, but Bishnoi’s control could once again test the KKR power-hitter. Sunil Narine vs Ayush Badoni Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2022 1 4 0 3 0 0 25.0 - 2023 18 10 1 3 2 1 180.0 18.0 2024 11 16 2 5 0 0 68.8 5.5 Total 30 30 3 11 2 1 100.0 10.0 Sunil Narine has been one of the most dangerous bowlers in the IPL for years, and Ayush Badoni is one of LSG’s young stars. Narine has bowled 30 balls to Badoni across three seasons, and the results have been in Narine’s favour. Badoni has scored 30 runs from those 30 balls, which implies his strike rate is merely 100. Narine has also gotten Badoni out three times. In 2024, Badoni performed poorly against Narine, scoring merely 11 runs from 16 balls and getting out. In 2023, he fared slightly better with 18 runs from 10 balls, but Narine clearly dominated this contest.