KKR vs CSK IPL 2023: Kolkata on a slippery slope, but how will the Knights stop their slide?

In the previous match, KKR made as many as four changes, with Englishman Jason Roy, and Bangladesh’s Litton Das getting a game. While Roy had a positive outing, Das had a night to forget where he failed with the bat and missed stumpings twice. The Knights have already tried out four different opening combinations in their first six games. Hence, they must settle down and fire all cylinders and avoid chopping and changing their XI to turn things around.

One change they could make is in the foreign players quota. Litton Das could be benched and maybe KKR could give allrounder David Wiese a game. They bagged the veteran all-rounder for Rs 1 crore in the auction. The Namibian all-rounder could be the second fiddle to Andre Russell, much like Pat Cummins did, and hit sixes towards the end of the innings. He also has an arsenal of deceptive deliveries as a seam bowler.

David da, standing tall & strong 💪🔥@David_Wiese | #AmiKKR | #TATAIPL 2023 pic.twitter.com/xP5N4SXMiF

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 22, 2023

Another facet which needs some brushing up is the lack of potency in the pace attack, which has conceded runs in the powerplay and been unable to pick early wickets.

Even KKR bowling coach Bharat Arun agreed to these two areas and, in the pre-match press conference, said that if the Knights can iron out these aspects, then a better result could be on the cards.

“Powerplay batting and powerplay bowling, if we can step up in these two areas, then we can expect a good result,” said Arun.

“Every inning we are getting close to 200 runs despite not doing so well in the powerplay with the willow. Matches also run close in matches where we give those extra runs while bowling in the powerplay. So if we look hard at those areas where we went wrong, then it is an opportunity,” he added.

Speaking further on the fast bowling options, Arun said, “This IPL, every team is coming hard in the powerplay. For us, spin has been doing well, and that is why teams are targeting our fast bowlers. But we will come up good,” he added.

Arun also cited one area of difference from the past year and said, “Last year, we got wickets in the first six overs, but this year we haven’t got wickets in the powerplay.”

When asked if KKR was still searching for the perfect opening combination, he said, “We try out different people in different circumstances. We do understand what our players bring to the table, and if you look at the future, it will be much more steady than what it was,” Arun emphasised before adding, “It is difficult to maintain total winning momentum. Every team wins some and loses some.”

Dhoni driving ticket sales at Eden

Demand for tickets for KKR vs CSK on Sunday is at an all-time high, with the crowd wanting to glimpse their favourite star, MS Dhoni. According to sources in the CAB, Sunday is expected to be a full house, with everyone wanting to watch Dhoni in action.

Mind blowing welcome that make us go “How Rah?”😲 #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/XuDjNbk3KZ

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 22, 2023

However, KKR coach Bharat Arun was unwilling to admit that Dhoni could be a significant factor in the game and said, “We know we are up against a good opposition, but we have a good record against CSK over the years. It’s all about what we do in the middle.”

Interestingly, KKR and CSK have met nine times at Eden, where the men in yellow have won five times while Kolkata have won on four occasions.

Key Matchups: Big-hitting Shivam Dubey versus the guile of Varun Chakravarthy will be a crucial battle to watch out for. Another exciting fight could be Andre Russell, who returned to form in the last game, against Ravindra Jadeja. Kiwi batter Dewon Conway, who plays spin well, will aim to take on Sunil Narine at the top of the order.

Head-to-Head Record: KKR and CSK have met on 27 occasions in the IPL, and CSK holds an advantage, with 17 wins against KKR, who have won 9 times. Considering the last six games, it is 4-2 in favour of CSK.

SQUADS:

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Jason Roy, Litton Das(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(c), Mandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Anukul Roy, Tim Southee, David Wiese, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, N Jagadeesan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Aarya Desai

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Singh, Matheesha Pathirana, Ambati Rayudu, Dwaine Pretorius, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, RS Hangargekar, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Bhagath Varma, Nishant Sindhu