🏏IPL 2024: Match 22 - CSK vs KKR at Chennai @ 7:30PM IST🏏

🏏IPL 2024: Match 22 - CSK vs KKR at Chennai on 08/04/2024 @ 7:30PM IST🏏

[Logo Credit - Wildestdreams]

Batters must come to the party for CSK against powerplay bosses KKR

In two games at Chepauk in IPL 2024 so far, fast bowlers have picked up 18 wickets, while spinners have four (and none of those have gone to CSK)

The focus at CSK seems to have shifted this year. A team that had relied on their spinners and the way their former captain used them to suffocate oppositions has, so far, played its home games in conditions where the ball isn't even stopping on the pitch, let alone turn off it. In the two matches it has hosted in IPL 2024, Chepauk has offered 18 wickets at an average of 28 to the fast bowlers, but only four at an average of 47 to the slow bowlers. CSK's share in those wickets: 13 for the quicks and zip, nada, nothing for the spinners.

Which IPL team has made the best use of the Impact Player rule?

KKR won't mind that things are shaping up that way because if there is opportunity to hit through the line of the ball, they have the best line-up to exploit it, starting with Sunil Narine, who has responded with a big shot to 44 of the 65 balls he's faced. That isn't just aggression. That's addiction. Having previously been forced to push him down the order to accommodate Venkatesh Iyer, KKR have gone back to their pinch-hitter to give them those high-impact starts and he hasn't disappointed.

CSK, after two losses on the road, will be wary of the threat they face. Their batters will once again bear the responsibility of getting a par-plus total, like they did against Gujarat Titans, which brings their wildcards into the picture. Shivam Dube is excelling in his role as spin-hitter again with a sky-high strike rate of 214 - only Abhishek Sharma (231) has gone better (minimum 18 balls faced). But the rest of them - Rachin Ravindra, who has the potential to do the Narine job for CSK, Ajinkya Rahane, whose transformation continues to surprise, and Daryl Mitchell, who is having a slowish start to the season - have work to do.

[Tag Credit - Sutapasima]

Chennai pitch report for CSK vs KKR match

The Chennai pitch in the first two games showed that it is a batting-friendly wicket, but not a wicket which would give teams a chance to score 200 every time. Thus, if bowlers keep it tight, they can also get good purchases off it as well. Thus a good battle between bat and ball is expected. 

Chennai weather forecast during CSK vs KKR IPL match

There are going to be no clouds in the sky in Chennai on April 8. However, the temperatures will be between 31 and 30 degrees Celsius with dangerous levels of humidity. It will increase from 74 per cent at 7 pm to 80 per cent at 11 pm IST, according to accuweather.com.

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings score at Chepauk in IPL 2024 is 189, which is a serious increase from where it was (164) in 21 matches across the previous three years. So strap in and get ready for some runs.

Chennai and Kolkata have played against each other in 31 matches. Chennai have dominated the meetings between the two sides, winning 19 of those encounters and Kolkata on the other hand has had only 11 wins. 

Total matches played: 31

Kolkata Knight Riders won: 11

Chennai Super Kings won: 19

No result: 1

Abandoned: 0

CSK vs KKR head-to-head in Chennai

Matches played: 10

Kolkata Knight Riders: 3

Chennai Super Kings: 7

CSK vs KKR head-to-head in Kolkata 

Matches played: 10

Kolkata Knight Riders: 4

Chennai Super Kings: 6

HEAD TO HEAD  LAST 5 MATCHES

KKR won by 6 wickets (with 9 balls remaining), 15-May-2023

CSK won by 49 runs, 24-Apr-2023

KKR won by 6 wickets (with 9 balls remaining), 27-Mar-2022

CSK won by 27 runs, 16-Oct-2021

CSK won by 2 wickets (with 0 balls remaining), 26-Sep-2021

Batters To Watch(recent stats) 

Ruturaj Gaikwad,  CSK

10 M • 324 Runs • 32.4 Avg • 140.25 SR

Shivam Dube,  CSK

10 M • 302 Runs • 50.33 Avg • 159.78 SR

Rinku Singh,  KKR

10 M • 295 Runs • 49.17 Avg • 149.74 SR

Nitish Rana,  KKR

8 M • 241 Runs • 34.43 Avg • 137.71 SR

Bowlers To Watch(recent stats)

Deepak Chahar,  CSK

10 M • 17 Wkts • 8.32 Econ • 12.76 SR

Matheesha Pathirana,  CSK

8 M • 16 Wkts • 7.68 Econ • 11.62 SR

Varun Chakravarthy,  KKR

10 M • 14 Wkts • 8.78 Econ • 15.85 SR

Harshit Rana,  KKR

8 M • 10 Wkts • 8.76 Econ • 15 SR

In the spotlight - Andre Russell vs CSK

Andre Russell is the second-quickest-scoring batter so far in this IPL with a strike rate of 239. He loves playing against CSK. Four of his 11 IPL fifties have come against them. He is in form. He is feeling fit. And he is on a mission to make that West Indies team for the home World Cup. Taking him down is going to be hard work.

CSK's best option to deal with him is Pathirana, if he's fit (1 run off 3 balls, one dismissal). But keep an eye on Ravindra Jadeja as well. His head-to-head with Russell in the IPL is 32 runs in 25 balls.

Don't forget to send your predictions for today's match

Toss Prediction by 7:00 PM

Rest of the predictions by 7.30PM

Whenever you make a change, press the Submit Prediction tab again.

Go russel 🔥

Stats that matter - Power-hitting masterclass on the cards

• KKR have been bossing it in the powerplay this year, going at 12 an over. Only Sunrisers Hyderabad (11.66) are getting anywhere close to the kind of explosive batting ability they have shown in the first six overs. Their opening partnership, which was trundling along at a strike rate of 109 and 131 in the last two years, is flying now. Narine and Phil Salt have a strike rate of 172 together.
• CSK, though, will hope that they can make home advantage count. They have won nine of the 13 games between these two sides at Chepauk.
• Some of the best death-overs (17-20) batters in the IPL will be on show tomorrow. Rinku Singh (26) is two away from beating Shimron Hetmyer (27) as the best six-hitter in this phase of play since IPL 2022. MS Dhoni (20) and Russell (18) are not too far behind either.
• In light of that, CSK would dearly love Pathirana to be back starting for them. He has an economy rate of 8.5 in the back-end - only Jasprit Bumrah (7.53) and Mohsin Khan (7.57) go better (minimum 24 balls bowled). Pathirana looks to be their best option to contain a KKR line-up that has power where it counts most.

Quotes

"We aren't overly concerned about Ruturaj. He's a quality cricketer. It hasn't worked out but that's the nature of high-octane cricket. You have to go out there and play with a degree of confidence. You have to go out and play with a degree of risk-taking and it'll come. He's that kind of a person, he's been really calm and focused on what he wants to do and there's not much concern in that respect."

CSK bowling consultant Eric Simons on the slow-scoring opener

"I feel a lot of teams and franchises today want power players who can hit boundaries and sixes which is why you see a lot of that. But I feel the game still revolves around players who can accumulate runs like a Virat Kohli. But eventually this game is about playing with a higher strike rate, whether that be singles, doubles or fours, that's your formula to success and I feel it's a very individual thing."

KKR batting coach Abhishek Nayar on how to approach batting in T20s

CSK

Thanks for the tag Raji