Posted by CSK vs KKR After a gap of almost two weeks, Chennai Super Kings are set to return to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the venue where they registered their two wins. The time on the road hasn’t been as fruitful for the defending champions, having lost their last two games, in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, respectively.
Touring them for their challenge on Monday are Kolkata Knight Riders, the Shreyas Iyer-led side which is yet to be beaten this season. The resurgence of Sunil Narine the batter as an opener has played a big part in KKR’s dominance over the last couple of games, and they would hope for the pinch-hitter to hurt CSK as well.
Even though it’s a venue which has predominantly helped the slower bowlers, that’s not how it has panned out so far this season, with a total in excess of 170 being chased down comfortably in the first game and the hosts posting 200-plus in the second. Even if the pitch used against KKR plays to the strength of the spinners, the visitors wouldn’t be complaining. The team sitting atop the points table will want to hold onto their spot with a fourth win in four games, even as CSK aim to make a happy return home.
Head to head:
CSK have dominated against KKR, with a 18-10 record. In Chepauk, it goes to 7-3
When: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, April 8, 2024, 7:30 PM IST
Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
What to expect: The matches at the venue have been high-scoring so far, and dew hasn’t played much part. There could be some change in the third game of the season.
Team Watch
Chennai Super Kings
Injury/Unavailability: Mustafizur Rahman’s return from the US is imminent but the bowling coach Eric Simmons is not sure about the availability for tomorrow. About Pathirana, Simmons said his absence in the previous fixture was CSK being conservative and that there’s not too much concern.
Matchups & Strategy:Rinku Singh’s ability to smash big runs in the death overs notwithstanding, the Sri Lankan duo of Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana have been incredibly effective in keeping the southpaw in check, combining to concede only 35 runs in 33 balls eventhough they have never been able to dismiss him. Should Pathirana make it to the XI, he’d be useful at the backend.
Probable XI:Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi/Mitchell Santner, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana [Impact Substitute: Mukesh Choudhary]
Kolkata Knight Riders
Injury/Unavailability:There is no update on Nitish Rana’s recovery as yet. The other players are expected to be available.
Matchups & Strategy: Rachin Ravindra has shown signs of struggle against the moving ball outside off, and that is an area KKR would look to exploit against the CSK opener.
Probable XI:Sunil Narine, Phil Salt, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy [Impact Substitute: Suyash Sharma]
Did you know?
– CSK have lost only 8 out of 34 games played in Chepauk since 2013
– In 74 balls of face-off in the IPL, MS Dhoni has scored only 39 runs against Sunil Narine, which includes a solitary boundary
What they said:
“I think his work-ethic. I think his strongest suit is his ability to work hard. Lot of people talk about skill as something that’s really important but what really matters is the willingness to work hard. Because that is the sort of talent that not everyone possesses.” – Abhishek Nayar on Angkrish Raghavanshi
“It’s a long tournament. We wanted to be conservative about our decision making around him (Pathirana).” – CSK bowling Eric Simons