IPL 2022 is going to have its opening match between CSK and KKR tomorrow. Fans are quite excited since a match between these two teams has been a highly anticipated one. Last year, CSK defeated KKR in the finale and lifted the cup.
Match preview: CSK vs KKR
Chennai Super Kings
Ruturaj Gaikwad will be opening the batting from the CSK side. Moeen ALi will be at no. 3 though, he won’t be available for the first match as he couldn’t secure a visa to travel to India.
The middle-order will have MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja etc. Dwayne Bravo will back them in the all-rounder department. Apart from them, they also got Dwaine Pretorius and Shivam Dube. CSK spent a lot of money on Deepak Chahar but he won’t be available for the match due to his injury. It would be interesting to notice who fills his gap. Devon Conway has replaced Faf du Plessis’s position.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR reached the final lost year but lost the title to CSK. The franchise will be led by the new skipper, Shreyas Iyer. Right now, he’s in great form which is good for the team. Iyer came a long way, after making his debut in the franchise last year. Some of the batters are Nitish Rana, Ajinkya Rahane, and Sam Billings.
Andre Russell and Sunil Narine will provide the perfect balance. The fast balling department comprises Pat Cummins, Umesh Yadav and Shivam Mahi. In the spin department, Varun Chakraborty and Narine are going to be the biggest bets.
CSK vs KKR opening match 2022: Match prediction
KKR was defeated by CSK last year. But in the mega auction, the squad of KKR went through a lot of transformations. This time, KKR has power-packed players with a new skipper Shreyas Iyer who has very good form right now. Ravindra Jadeja is the new skipper of CSK and it will be interesting to see how the team performs under his captaincy. Pat Cummins won’t be available for the first match as he’s on national duties in Pakistan. On KKR’s side, Finch won’t be available for the first match, because of his national duties, again. Chennai Super Kings has won 18 matches against Kolkata Knight Riders previously, out of 26. However, due to the complete 360-degree transformation in the KKR squad, the results can be unexpected. It is predicted that both the teams will give each other a tough fight, since it’s the first day, both the squads will be on their highest energies. Keeping in mind the existing results, CSK has a higher chance to win.
CSK vs KKR : Fantasy XI for the opening match
Ravindra Jadeja(Rs. 16 crores) will be a first-choice pick in the all-rounder’s slot. He was perfect last year picking 13 wickets and scoring 227 runs.
Shreyas Iyer will be leading KKR and there are a lot of expectations from him. Right now, he’s at a very good form. He is energetic and dependable when building the long partnership.
Andre Russell ( Rs 12 crores) from KKR is backed by the franchise for his talent. he has got the dedication and fire inside him and can bowl at any stage of the match.
Adam Milne ( Rs 1.9 crores) has played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the past. In his 9 IPL matches, he has taken 7 wickets with the best figures of 2 for 21.
Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 8 crore) was the top wicket-taker for Knight Riders in the last edition with 18 wickets in 17 matches.
Sam Billings( Rs 2 crores) in his 19 IPL innings, he has scored 334 runs which include 3 half-centuries.
Dhoni will be the biggest strength for CSK as he has led the team four times in winning the cup. Though, he won’t be the skipper this time but still his experience can help the team a lot.
Robin Uthappa‘s biggest strength has always been trying to remain positive in any situation. Uthappa played a match-winning knock in the playoffs which helped MS Dhoni and co. to reach the final.
Devon Conway was picked because of his batting skills by Chennai Super Kings. He will be making his debut in the IPL. It’s risky to pick him since he will be playing the tournament for the first time but he has a lot of potential.
Venkatesh Iyer scored 30+ runs two times against west Indies in the T20 series and also picked two wickets in the series. Venkatesh Iyer, who opened for KKR last time amassed 370 runs in just 10 games averaging 41.11 with 4 fifties.
Sunil Narine has an amazing all-round capabilities. he was initially a pinch-hitter but then he turned to be one of the finest openers for KKR. His power hittings and bowling attacks made him one of the best players of KKR. He was also one of the key constructors in the title victories of 2012 and 2014
Read more: IPL 2022: Rajasthan Royals team preview – Everything you need to know about RR
