Dominant KKR out to win bragging rights against Chepauk-powered CSK

It’s not often right to give too much credit to mentors for the side’s fortunes, but when the personalities involved are MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir, it has to be the locus standi of the clash. MS Dhoni is no longer the captain of CSK, and neither Gautam Gambhir is leading the charge on the field - but when CSK and KKR square off against each other at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 8, 2024 (Monday), the focus can’t deviate much.

Back in the day, it was Gambhhir who employed a close-in field to tame MS Dhoni. It was Gambhir’s KKR who first permeated through the MS Dhoni spin-bashing persona to virtually end his range. Now, a lot of things have changed, but Gambhir’s will to put the Dhoni cult to dust is as rampant as ever. Don’t go expecting any pleasantries from the Delhi man.

What will put Gambhir on the front foot on Monday is the recent record. KKR have won all three of their games in IPL 2024 whereas CSK have lost both their away games so far. Plus, last year, Kolkata walked out of Chennai, dominating at their opposition's den. There have been a considerable amount of challenges that the home side will have to overcome, but KKR can least be complacent, knowing CSK’s ability to spring a surprise.

CSK vs KKR Head-to-Head 

Overall -  Games 28 | CSK 18 | KKR 10

At Chepauk - Games 10 | CSK 7 | KKR 3

Venue and Condition Details 

Chepauk has been a fortress for CSK over the years. Their whole strategy to dominate the IPL is based on how they perform at their home base. 

Teams batting first have won six of the 11 matches, whereas captains opted to bowl first here six times in 11 matches. The average 1st innings score here at Chepauk is 174/7, while the average 1st innings winning score is 187/7.

Weather Forecast

It is extremely hot and humid in Chepauk at the moment, which leads to some moisture at night. There is no threat of rain in Chennai on Monday, but how both teams accustom themselves to the heat and perform remains to be seen.

Things to watch out for

Will KKR hold their spinners back?

Shivam Dube is a much-improved batter against pace, but his ability to destroy spinners is impeccable. That might prompt Shreyas Iyer to hold Varun Chakaravarthy back to the death overs, remembering how Dube had taken him to the cleaners last year. 

By bowling Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc in the middle overs and by promoting the likes of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine to bowl with the new ball, KKR can throw a spanner in CSK’s works. It will be a double whammy for CSK, given their top-order batters Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra, and Ajinkya Rahane haven’t been too promising against slower bowlers.

Knowing how Gambhir strategizes, spinners operating with the new balls and then in the death overs can’t completely be ruled out. It would require them to step out of their comfort zone, but haven’t KKR always done that at Chepauk?

Can Starc ride on his DC performance?

Chepauk might have been a dream ground for spinners, but pacers with control tend to do well at the venue. Be it Dwayne Bravo or Deepak Chahar, or even the likes of Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande, it has often been a happy place for pacers.

Will that be the venue where Starc delivers big? After conceding 53 and 47 runs, respectively, against SRH and RCB, without any wickets, Starc returned with a spell of 2/25 against Delhi Capitals. By getting the better of his compatriots, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, Starc announced how valuable he could be with the ball. 

For KKR to get the better of CSK in Chepauk, it becomes imperative at once how Starc goes about things. Particularly against the opening pair, who have shown vulnerability against left-arm pacers. 

Probable XIs

CSK

Mustafizur Rahman will be back tomorrow but there’s a high chance that Daryll Mitchell make way for him. There is no injury update on Matheesha Pathirana yet, but if he is fit, he should make it to the side without any fuss.

XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana

Sameer Rizvi (IP)

KKR

After a domineering 106-run win against Delhi Capitals, KKR will field an unchanged playing XI, with Suyash Sharma or Ramandeep Singh acting as the impact player.

XI: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Suyash Sharma (IP)

TV and streaming details 

You can watch the game live from 3:30 PM on Star Sports (TV) and Jio Cinema (Streaming). 

Play Asli Fantasy on Cricket.com. Download the App Now.