Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2022, Today Match Prediction

csk vs kkr Match Prediction & Analysis

Indian Premier League 2022 kicks off and defending champions Chennai Super Kings would take on last year’s finalists Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening game at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. CSK would like to make a positive start to the season and get the ball rolling as they take on a very strong KKR this season. Knight Riders would look to put behind the upset of last year’s final with a win here.  

Super Kings have had the upper hand over Kolkata Knight Riders in recent years. However, they would miss out on some of their key players, and this affects their team balance. KKR is a much stronger side than last year, especially with the bat. Both sides have their bases covered and on a flat surface, we expect this game to go down the wire. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Chennai Super Kings Preview

MS Dhoni would like the side to begin its campaign from where they left last year. The defending champions would go into this game with their confidence high. They have retained the core group of players from last year and shall like to see strong performances from them. Dhoni would like his side to take confidence from their great record against KKR in this game. 

Rituraj Gaikwad had a good tournament last year and shall look to set up a good opening wicket stand with new partner Devon Conway who has been riding good form. Robin Uthappa must prove his worth at No. 3 against a good bowling attack. He would look to build partnerships with Ambati Rayudu and Shivam Dube. Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo add to the side’s firepower down the order. 

Deepak Chahar’s absence is a big loss for the side and the onus would be on Chris Jordan and Tushar Deshpande to get them early wickets in this game. Mitchell Santner and Jadeja have to play important roles as the wicket isn’t likely to offer much assistance in the game. Bravo brings his experience to the table and the side would have high expectations from him. 

Top CSK Batsman – Ruturaj Gaikwad  at odds 3.62 >> BET AT 10CRIC
 

Top Bowler – Deepak Chahar

Chennai Super Kings Predicted Playing XI:

MS Dhoni (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Robin Uthappa (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Shivam Dube, Mitchell Santner, Chris Jordan, Tushar Deshpande

Chennai Super Kings Actual Playing XI:

Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Shivam Dube, RV Uthappa, Ravindra Jadeja, Adam Milne, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Tushar Deshpande, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni

Kolkata Knight Riders Preview

KKR has a new leader in Shreyas Iyer, and they would be aiming to make a perfect start to the season. It is a new-look batting line-up for the side and one of the strongest in the tournament. Iyer who has been enjoying excellent form in recent months shall look to lead from the front and get the first points for the season. 

Venkatesh Iyer and his new opening partner Sunil Narine would look to set up a strong platform as CSK has some weaknesses in the new ball attack. The middle order is packed with quality players and Shreyas Iyer would aim to build partnerships in the game with Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Nabi, and Nitish Rana. In Andre Russell and Sam Billings, they have perfect finishers adding to the side’s confidence. 

KKR has a very strong bowling attack and the side would expect tight spells with the new ball from Varun Chakravarthy and Tim Southee. Umesh Yadav brings his experience and must deliver the goods. Narine and Nabi are smart bowlers in this format, and they would look to trouble CSK batsmen. Russell adds to the side’s bowling options for this game. 

Top Batsman – Shreyas Iyer    
Top Bowler – Varun Chakravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted Playing XI:

Shreyas Iyer (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Mohammad Nabi, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Sam Billings (wk), Tim Southee, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders Actual Playing XI:

Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Mavi, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, SP Jackson, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Sam Billings

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

There would be clear skies over Mumbai on March 26 and we expect this game to be a high-scoring one as the wicket is expected to be flat. Bowlers would find it hard bowling on this surface with little margin for error. The side that bats first here would need to target a score of 180 runs to win the game.

Venue Details

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a small ground and has one of the best batting surfaces in India. Batsmen have done well at this venue in the past as they can play their strokes freely. There isn’t much on this track for the fast bowlers and we have seen spinners struggle with economy rates due to the small size of the venue.

Toss: To Bowl

It is one of the best batting surfaces in India where big totals have been chased easily. Defending at total is never easy here as the wicket gets flatter and better to bat on in the second innings. The side winning the toss in this game would have no hesitation in opting to bowl first.