Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 15 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 on Wednesday (April 21) in Mumbai.
The two teams will be arriving into the contest after enduring contrasting fortunes in their respective previous matches of the IPL 2021.
CSK enjoyed a comprehensive victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their last encounter, whereas KKR suffered a disappointing loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
KKR are now languishing in the bottom half of the points table with just a solitary win out of their three outings, while CSK are comfortably placed in the upper half with two successive victories following their opening game defeat.
Key Players
Moeen Ali has been quite brilliant for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2021 so far after being picked by the three-time winners at the auction in February for a sum of INR 7.00 crores. Moeen has been dependable as a middle-order batter as well as an off-spinner through the middle-overs for CSK. He has scored 108 runs from his 3 innings at an average of 36.00 and strike-rate of 144.00, besides taking 4 wickets while conceding only 6.33 runs per over. In CSK’s win over RR in the previous match, Moeen received the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his all-round display, scoring important 26 runs and taking three wickets for seven runs.
Ravindra Jadeja is another vital cog in CSK’s wheels for this year’s edition of the IPL. Jadeja has been an improving T20 cricketer for the three-time champions in the IPL. In CSK’s first three matches this season, the left-arm spinner has taken 2 wickets while going for only 6.30 runs per. He has also scored useful runs lower down the order at a strike-rate of 141.66. Jadeja seems to have only expanded his range as a power-hitter since the last IPL, in which he scored 232 runs at a strike-rate of 171.85 while averaging 46.40. Jadeja was one of CSK’s bright spots in their otherwise disappointing IPL 2020 campaign. He has started this year’s edition of the IPL on a positive note as well.
Nitish Rana missed out with the bat in KKR’s last match of IPL 2021 versus RCB in Chennai but the left-hand batsman has been in fine form. In the previous two matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI), Rana had made two impressive half-centuries. He is KKR’s top run-getter in the tournament so far, with 155 runs at an average of 51.66 and a strike-rate of 135.96. Rana, who seems to be relishing his promotion to the top of the order in the KKR line-up, has now scored 1,592 runs in his overall IPL career with a strike-rate of 135.60. Rana will definitely be crucial to KKR’s chances when they take on CSK in what will be an important clash in the early days of the IPL 2021.
Pat Cummins has been KKR’s most economical bowler in the tournament so far, with four wickets from three outings while conceding 7.33 runs per over. In an otherwise struggling KKR bowling unit, Cummins has emerged as a bright spot. Used mainly through the middle-overs and the latter stages of an innings, Cummins has shown decent control and consistency. The Australian right-arm quick was picked for a whopping sum of INR 15.5 crores ahead of the IPL 2020 in UAE last year, where despite traditionally spin-friendly conditions he had taken 12 wickets and went at a respectable 7.86 runs per over.
Prediction
An interesting clash is on the cards between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), two teams who have gone in different directions since the start of the tournament. KKR beat SRH in their opening game but have since lost to MI and RCB, whereas CSK suffered defeat to DC but have conquered the challenges against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and RR thereafter.
Both sides possess a wealth of talent within but also carry a few genuine chinks in their armour. While for CSK those chinks are related to their lengthy but inconsistent and ageing batting unit and a bowling attack requiring some help off the track to stay competitive, KKR are finding it difficult to overcome issues around their inconsistent batting unit, especially their middle-order, and a bowling attack that isn’t functioning collectively.
The clash in Mumbai will be a chance for both the teams to not just win but also show improvement over some of their shortcomings. The dynamics of the conditions at the Wankhede stadium, however, may just favour KKR’s batting unit, which seems built for flatter pitches where the likes of Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell will get the ball coming on to their bat nicely, something they were denied at the slow-paced surfaces in Chennai.
And thus, KKR could inch past CSK in this encounter.
