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Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Preview: Captaincy battle between master strategists

By Sridhar Bhamidi

20 Apr 2021

Sridhar Bhamidi 20 Apr 2021

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Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Chennai Super Kings in match #15 of IPL 2021 on Wednesday
This match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
Kolkata Knight Riders have scored more runs in the power play in their last 6 matches
Kolkata Knight Riders have scored more 6s than Chennai Super Kings in 5 of the last 7 matches
Chennai Super Kings won 6 of the last 9 matches against Kolkata Knight Riders
Faf du Plessis has scored at least 25 runs in 4 of his last 5 matches for Chennai Super Kings

Can Eoin Morgan find form to lift his side Kolkata Knight Riders in the Mumbai leg?(Getty Images)

Chennai Super Kings will look to continue their winning momentum and challenge the top-spot when they play the inconsistent Kolkata Knight Riders team. This match #15 of the Indian Premier League 2021 campaign will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Kolkata have two points from three matches, losing their last two to Mumbai and Bangalore with all three matches played in Chennai. The Super Kings have picked up two wins on the trot against Punjab and Rajasthan, both coming comprehensively.

Kolkata Knight Riders Form

Kolkata Knight Riders have struggled for top-order runs with only Nitish Rana (155 runs, SR 135.96) and Rahul Tripathi (83 runs, SR 153.70) coming good so far. Shubman Gill, Eoin Morgan, and Andre Russell have all failed to get going in the Chennai leg.

With the ball, Pat Cummins (ER 7.33, four wickets) remains their most frugal bowler with every other bowler conceding over 8.0 runs per over. Varun Chakaravarthy (three wickets, ER 8.50) is yet to hit the right chords, while Harbhajan Singh is yet to take a wicket in the season!

Kolkata Knight Riders News

Lockie Ferguson could steamroll into the side, not least because of the pace and bounce that Mumbai pitch offers. Andre Russell could be under fire for his role so far, while Shubman Gill’s poor starts are a cause of concern.

Chennai Super Kings Form

Consecutive comprehensive wins by six wickets & 26 balls to spare and 45 runs puts Chennai back in the top-four mix. Moeen Ali’s all-round efforts (108 runs @ SR 144.00, four wickets @ ER 6.33) are a massive positive. So is Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round brilliance (SR 141.55, ER 6.30, six catches) in all three fields.

The bowlers have stuck to their plans and shared the wickets with three bowlers conceding under 7.00 runs per over and five under 7.50 per over. The only exception is Shardul Thakur, who is struggling for impact (three wickets, ER 10.12).

Chennai Super Kings News

Lungi Ngidi could be in contention, but Chennai rarely change their playing XI. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s struggles at the top may prompt a chance for Robin Uthappa.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Head-to-Head

Chennai Super Kings have a 15-9 win-loss record against Kolkata Knight Riders. Last season saw the teams share the spoils.

Kolkata won the first match by 10 runs led by Rahul Tripathi’s 81 off 51 balls. Gaikwad’s 72 off just 53 balls helped Chennai chase down 172 in the second match, trumping Nitish Rana’s 87.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Match Up

Kolkata have struggled with their team composition, as Morgan struggles over the choice of overseas players. Shubman Gill has also been struggling at the top of the batting order. Chennai seem to have found their mojo and are slowly building up momentum.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Stats

Kolkata Knight Riders have scored more 6s than Chennai Super Kings in 5 of the last 7 matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders have scored more runs in the power play in each of their last 6 matches.
The chasing side has won 4 of the 6 matches at this venue.
Chennai Super Kings have won 8 of 9 matches against Kolkata Knight Riders when batting second.
Faf du Plessis has scored at least 25 runs in 4 of his last 5 matches for Chennai Super Kings.

Prediction

Chennai Super Kings are better placed than Kolkata Knight Riders at the moment and on current form. Most boxes are ticked for MS Dhoni’s team, although his own form is poor. Chennai’s all-rounders hold an edge over Kolkata, who nevertheless will welcome the change of venue from Chennai to Mumbai. Faf du Plessis remains a strong pick in the individual runs market, while Kolkata could be a good pick for winning the sixes battle.

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