In the 61st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will welcome Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai tonight i.e. Sunday, May 14 at 7:30 PM IST.
CSK are in a good position in the standings, and the MS Dhoni-led team would like to secure one of the top two spots before moving on to the playoffs. The four-time IPL champions have 15 points from 11 games and are comfortably positioned second. Nevertheless, with Mumbai Indians (MI) winning back-to-back games, CSK will want to win their remaining games to cement their position. Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad are consistently providing a terrific start in the powerplay, which is followed by Ajinkya Rahane in the middle overs to Shivam Dube and MSD annihilating bowlers towards the end of the innings. Deepak Chahar has strengthened an already established bowling unit in the bowling department. Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Despande have been outstanding in recent matches and will look to emulate their efforts tonight.
Kolkata, on the other side, would be coming off a humbling loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR). With their chances of making the competition’s playoffs looking dismal, the team would be eager to bounce back to winning ways. KKR are mathematically still in contention, but a loss in Chennai will formally end their season. KKR are eighth in the points table with 10 points, and with two games remaining, they would like to get all four remaining points. It was a forgettable contest against RR, but KKR will be confident in continuing their strong form from their encounter against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jason Roy need to perform beyond powerplay. Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh are showcasing top form while Andre Russell needs to be more consistent. With the ball, there are only limited resources for Rana as pacers aren’t performing well. But when it comes to spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine need no explanation on how to bowl. KKR would require a massive win in Chennai to boost their chance for the playoffs.
Head-to-Head:
In terms of head-to-head rivalry, CSK have a significant lead over KKR. Both franchises faced each other 28 times, with Chennai and KKR winning 18 and nine games, respectively. In their last outing, which took place earlier this season, CSK won by 49 runs.
Where-to-Watch:
OTT: JioCinema