Red-hot CSK to lock horns against Kolkata Knight Riders
Chennai Super Kings are within touching distance to grab a spot in the IPL 2021 playoffs. If Mahendra Singh Dhoni and co beat Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday (tomorrow), they will have 16 points in hand.
The contest will begin at 3:30 pm (India Time) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Chennai are at the second spot with 14 points in nine matches, just behind Delhi Capitals that have 16 points in 10 games. Not to forget, that CSK has an edge over every IPL side due to the best net run rate (+1.185).
Expected playing XI
CSK
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood.
KKR
Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (w), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna.
Probable MOTM players
Deepak Chahar
From being a weak link to coming Dhoni’s powerplay specialist, Chahar has had quite a ride with Chennai. The bowling all-rounder has a reputation for worrying the batters with his inch-perfect variations.
His ability to play with the batsmen’s mindset makes him an IPL royalty. Dealing with his first spell is something the Knight Riders should pay heed to.
Dre Russ
Andre Russell needs no introduction. The Caribbean star has been a reliable wicket taker for KKR so far. He has, however, been inconsistent with the bat, but kept his critics on the backfoot with bowling masterclasses.
If he gets going against the CSK, stopping him will be an uphill task. Russell will be on CSK’s mind and weaving a plan to counter is late charge is a necessity for KKR’s oppositions.
Match prediction
Chennai have aced the initial phase of this season. They are at the verge of booking a playoff spot. Dhoni has led the side with the same grit and tactical approach that he is known for.
His bowling changes and field placements have been top notch. This is why Chennai have been far more consistent this season as compared to their last campaign’s early exit.
They have won seven of nine game so far, emerging as serious title contendors in 2021. They beat Royal Challengers Bangalore with ease and a test against Kolkata Knight Riders should not them worry the CSK huddle too much.
While Kolkata are gathering momentum with two wins in a row, they don’t seem to have what it takes to overpower Chennai. CSK have turned into a well-rounded unit with their all-rounders – Ravi Jadeja and Moeen Ali – stepping up to the occasions.
Hence, KKR are likely to suffer a loss to Dhoni and co on Saturday.
