IPL 2023 PREVIEW: CSK vs KKR

MS Dhoni and his men are in excellent form in IPL 2023. They have won 4 out of the 6 matches they’ve played until now and are sitting pretty in the 3rd position in the points table. The batters are in excellent form, especially Devon Conway while Shivam Dube and Ajinkya Rahane have played some match-winning knocks as well. But despite that, there is still room for improvement as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Moeen Ali are yet to fire with the bat. Gaikwad has 2 fifties to his name but he has failed to get going in the last three games while Moeen Ali is yet to get some runs under his belt.

Form of the pace unit, especially Tushar Deshpande and Akash Singh is a pleasant surprise for the fans. Both of them have been brilliant in the power play and have bowled well in the death overs as well. The spin trio of Ravindra Jadeaj, Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana are Dhoni’s biggest strength as he literally controls the game in the middle phase when the spinners are bowling. CSK will look to continue their good form and get those two precious points by winning this game.

Kolkata, meanwhile, started off well but since then they’ve lost track as they are in the 8th position with 2 wins in 6 games. They have lost their last 3 games. Some of the team selections have been questionable for them. The batters are in good form and they need some support from the bowlers, especially the pacers. The spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine is in good form at the moment. The pacers have been ineffective and the biggest concern is Andre Russell’s form with the bat who has been the game-changer for his team over the years. KKR needs to bounce back strongly in this game.

Probable XIs

Chennai:

Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Singh, Matheesha Pathirana

Impact Subs: Ambati Rayudu, Nishant Sindhu, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki

Kolkata:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Jason Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Mandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

Impact Subs: Anukul Roy, Kulwant Khejroliya, Suyash Sharma, Lockie Ferguson

Venue

Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Eden Gardens has been a paradise for the batters this season. The average first innings score here in the two games played until now is 216 runs. The pitch has assisted the batters and the straight boundaries are quite small. There will be some assistance for the spinners as well. The pacers will be important with the new ball.

Total Matches: 81
Won Batting 1st: 34
Won Batting 2nd: 47
Tied: n/a

Average 1st Innings Score: 179 runs

Head-to-Head

CSK: 18
KKR: 10

Form update (last 5 innings)

Key Players and Fantasy Picks

Chennai

Ruturaj Gaikwad averages 41.6 and strikes at 135.1 against KKR with the highest score of 72. He got a good start in the last game but failed to convert it into a big score. A big knock is due from Gaikwad and this might be the game where he gets going.

Ravindra Jadeja has played a few match-winning cameos against KKR and is in terrific form with the ball. He averages 41.9 and strikes at 134.7 and has picked up 20 wickets at an economy of 7.39 against Kolkata.

Devon Conway has scored 3 consecutive half-centuries in the last three games. He has been super consistent this season. Conway has 258 runs to his name in 6 matches at an average of 51.60 and has struck at 144.13. KKR’s new ball attack is not that good and he is a good player of spin bowling. The stage looks set for another good performance from Devon Conway.

Moeen Ali has failed with the bat until now but he will be a key player for CSK in this game. He is bowling well and there are plenty of left-hand batters in Kolkata. Moeen has a great record against KKR - 160 runs in 5 innings at an average of 53.3 and his strike rate is 177.8.

Kolkata

Andre Russell has scored 360 runs against CSK in 12 innings at an average of 45 and his strike rate is 176.5 and has picked up 9 wickets as well. Russell loves playing against CSK and he will look to regain his form with the bat against one of his favourite oppositions.

Sunil Narine has 24 wickets against Chennai at an economy of 5.79. With as many as 4 left-handers in Chennai’s line-up, Narine could be in for a treat in this match. He has been failing with the bat but we know that he can score some useful runs on his day.

Varun Chakravarthy is in good form this season and considering CSK’s struggle against leg-spinners this season, he will be a vital bowler for Kolkata. Chakravarthy has 6 wickets against CSK in 6 games at an economy of 6.62. He has 9 wickets to his name in 6 matches of IPL 2023.

Differential Picks for Fantasy Cricket: Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (if he plays).

Fantasy Suggestions

Disclaimer: We don’t guarantee 100% winning in fantasy cricket. Users are requested to create their own combinations using the tips and numbers provided.