When Rajasthan Royals play against Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 6 of IPL 2025, the fans will be treated to a thrilling game with intense battles between players. Cricket is more than teams; at times, individual duels determine the course of a game. Whether a fast bowler against a leading batter or a crafty spinner against a hard-hitting hitter, such battles make the game exciting. In this game, certain pivotal players will clash, and their performances might mean the difference between winning and losing. Here are the top five player battles to watch in this high-stakes encounter. Top 5 Key Player Battles to Watch in RR vs KKR Sno Players 1 Sanju Samson vs Sunil Narine 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Harshit Rana 3 Shimron Hetmyer vs Varun Chakaravarthy 4 Jofra Archer vs Andre Russell 5 Sandeep Sharma vs Ajinkya Rahane Sanju Samson vs Sunil Narine Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2013 4 5 0 1 0 0 80.0 - 2014 10 10 1 5 1 0 100.0 10.0 2016 1 3 1 2 0 0 33.3 1.0 2017 6 8 0 2 0 0 75.0 - 2018 13 14 1 8 0 1 92.9 13.0 2019 5 5 0 1 0 0 100.0 - 2021 8 14 0 6 0 0 57.1 - 2022 17 19 0 9 2 0 89.5 - 2023 2 4 0 2 0 0 50.0 - Total 66 82 3 36 3 1 80.5 22.0 The first player battle, which is worth watching, is the match between Sanju Samson and Sunil Narine. Both players are key players for their teams. Sunil Narine is the x-factor in KKR’s bowling lineup, and Samson is the most senior batter in RR’s batting lineup. So far Narine has the upper hand on the Indian batter; he has just scored 66 runs in 82 balls. He has also been dismissed on 3 occasions, which shows how well the KKR spinner controls the bat of RR’s main batter. Going into their match, their battle can change the course of the game. Also Read | Top 3 Major Controversies from IPL Auctions Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Harshit Rana Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2023 19 7 0 2 3 1 271.4 - Total 19 7 0 2 3 1 271.4 - Another player battle, which is interesting to see, is between two young Indian players, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana. This battle is the most thunderous one going into this match; so far, Harshit has bowled only seven balls to RR’s opening batter; in seven balls, KKR’s bowler has gone for 19 runs. These numbers show how dominant Yashasvi Jaiswal is against the pacer. The left-handed batter takes the game away from the opposition whenever he gets going, so it will be very important for Harshit to take his wicket. Shimron Hetmyer vs Varun Chakaravarthy Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2020 3 3 1 1 0 0 100.0 3.0 2021 3 3 0 1 0 0 100.0 - 2024 0 1 1 1 0 0 0.0 0.0 Total 6 7 2 3 0 0 85.7 3.0 The battle between Shimron Hetmyer and Varun Chakaravarthy is also one to watch out for in the match between RR and KKR. Their battle will be very crucial for the context of the match because RR’s finishing depends on Hetmyer. If Varun can get his wickets early, it will be an advantage for KKR. So far Varun Chakaravarthy has the upper hand in this battle; he has just given six runs in seven balls and has also dismissed the batter twice. Jofra Archer vs Andre Russell Year Runs Balls Outs Dots 4s 6s SR Avg 2018 19 10 0 4 1 2 190.0 - 2019 2 4 0 2 0 0 50.0 - 2020 13 9 0 4 1 1 144.4 - Total 34 23 0 10 2 3 147.8 - The battle between England’s fast bowler Jofra Archer and Andre Russell is another important one in the context of the match. Russell is the pillar of KKR’s batting lineup, and Jofra Archer is the leader of RR’s bowling lineup. If Russell attacks the pacer, it will be an advantage for the Knight Riders; if Archer takes the wicket of the power hitter, RR can restrict KKR from making a big total. So far in IPL, the West Indian allrounder has faced 23 balls against Archer and has scored 34 runs with a strike rate of 147.8. Also Read | Priyansh Arya: Family, Career, Records, IPL - All Details 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 Sandeep Sharma and Rahane are two veterans of the Indian Premier League, and their battle is also very important considering the form of KKR’s new skipper. So far Sandeep has bowled 79 balls to Rahane and has kept him quiet. In 79 balls, Rahane has just scored 75 runs and has also been dismissed twice without hitting a single six. But this time things might change because KKR’s skipper is in great form and has been hitting sixes as well.