IPL 2024: Chennai Super Kings Face Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk

Chennai. In the 22nd match of this season's Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings will face Kolkata Knight Riders today. The match will begin at 7:45 PM at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk).

This is the first encounter between these two teams this season. Both Chennai and Kolkata are set to play their fifth match. Chennai has won only one game so far and sits in 9th place in the points table. 

On the other hand, Kolkata is still waiting for its first win. The team has lost 3 out of its 4 matches, while one match against Punjab was abandoned due to rain.

It is unlikely that former Chennai captain MS Dhoni will play in this match. He was not present at the stadium for the last game. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had mentioned after the match against Delhi that Dhoni is currently staying at the hotel, watching the game, and supporting the team. 'But yes, you will see him on the field very soon,' he had said.

• Chennai leads in head-to-head

Chennai and Kolkata have played 33 IPL matches so far. Chennai has won 21, while Kolkata has won 12. The home team, Chennai, has an excellent record at the Chepauk Stadium, having defeated Kolkata in 8 out of 12 matches, while Kolkata has only managed to win 4.

• Samson scored a century in the previous match

In terms of batting, Sanju Samson is at the top for Chennai Super Kings. He has scored runs at an excellent strike rate of 182.66 in 4 matches and has also hit a century. Similarly, Ayush Mhatre is the second-highest run-scorer with 133 runs, having scored 2 half-centuries with a strike rate of over 160. 

In bowling, Anshul Kamboj has been the most successful bowler for Chennai with 8 wickets. Apart from him, Jamie Overton has taken 5 wickets.

• Angkrish and Vaibhav are key players for Kolkata

Kolkata's performance this season has not been very good. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Vaibhav have played important roles for the team this season. Raghuvanshi has scored 155 runs in 4 matches, including two half-centuries. Similarly, Vaibhav Arora has taken 5 wickets in 4 matches.

Special Focus 

• Ruturaj Gaikwad 

Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain and the designated opener, but discussions have already started about how much more effective Ayush Mhatre has proven to be compared to him. While it is unlikely that Chennai will underestimate its captain, the team wants Gaikwad to improve his slow (run-a-ball) strike rate.

• Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane is Kolkata's second-highest run-scorer this year. He has scored runs at a strike rate of 155, which can be considered impressive for a Kolkata batter, but he is not among the 13 fastest-scoring openers this season. 

He has given a few aggressive interviews questioning the intentions of his critics, but in this format, which is rapidly moving towards higher strike rates, he will have to face these questions.

• Chepauk pitch is helpful for batting

The Chepauk Stadium pitch used to be helpful for spinners, but in the last few years, batters have also been getting good assistance here. Due to dew, it is easier to chase targets, so the team winning the toss might choose to bowl first. Two matches have been played here this season, and both have seen scores of over 200.

In the first match, Delhi could not chase down the 212-run target set by the home team.

A total of 93 IPL matches have been played here so far. The team batting first has won 52 matches, while the chasing team has won 41. The highest team score here is 246/5, which Chennai set against Rajasthan Royals in 2010.

• No chance of rain in Chennai today

There is no chance of rain in Chennai today. It will be slightly cloudy, making the weather pleasant. The temperature may reach up to 35 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, but during the match, it will remain between 27 and 31 degrees.

Probable Playing-12 for both teams

• Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurjapneet Singh. Impact Player: Akeal Hosein.
• Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi. Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora.

Statistics 

• Since the start of the last IPL, Mhatre has scored runs at a strike rate of 180 in the powerplay. In comparison, Gaikwad has played at a slow strike rate of 129, hitting only one boundary every five balls.
• Since 2023, Dhoni has captained Chennai in 25 matches and Gaikwad in 23. Under Dhoni's captaincy, spinners bowled 8.3 overs per match, whereas under Gaikwad's captaincy, they have bowled only 6.3 overs. Additionally, spinners have taken twice as many wickets under Dhoni's captaincy compared to Gaikwad's.
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been Kolkata's best batter in this IPL, but he starts his innings slowly. He has scored runs at a strike rate of only 119 in his first 10 balls. In the next 10 balls, however, he has scored at a rate of almost two runs per ball.