Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Adam Milne, Maheesh Theekshana, KM Asif.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav.
Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders kickstart new era of Indian Premier League
A new era of the Indian Premier League will commence on Saturday, 26th March, when Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns for the inaugural match of the 2022 season of this competition.
Like the competition, both teams will also write a new chapter in their journey with this game. Chennai Super Kings always tend to keep their core intact and have done the same this time around as well, but even then, things will look completely different just because the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not be leading the side. The four-time IPL-winning captain has passed the baton of leadership to Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the season.
The story is pretty similar for Kolkata Knight Riders as well, as they will be playing under the leadership of newly-appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer. Players like Nitish Rana and Shivam Mavi, who know all about the franchise inside out, will be looking to have an even bigger influence on proceedings this time around, while new signings in Sam Billings and Ajinkya Rahane will also be eager to prove their worth.
Team News
Both Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings will have to do without the services of a few key players. Jadeja’s CSK will miss three players owing to different reasons – Deepak Chahar is nursing an injury, Moeen Ali is undergoing mandatory three-day quarantine, and Dwaine Pretorius will arrive from national duty. New Zealand pacer Adam Milne and English speedster Chris Jordan will battle for an overseas slot, while spinners Mitchell Santner and Maheesh Theekshana will also be at loggerheads for another spot. Two overseas stars in Dwayne Bravo and Devon Conway seem certain to feature, alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad who has recovered from his hand injury.
As for KKR, Shreyas Iyer will miss the services of Australian opener Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins, both of whom are currently representing the baggy greens against Pakistan. English wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings and West Indian all-rounders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are likely to occupy three overseas slots. There will be a three-pronged battle for the fourth place – between Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne and New Zealand pacer Tim Southee.
Key Players
Ruturaj Gaikwad: Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a revelation for Chennai Super Kings. He has been an impeccably consistent performer ever since he made his debut in the 2020 edition, having scored 839 runs in 22 matches. As for his last season’s performance, the opening batter scored 635 runs at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26. Gaikwad struck four half-centuries and a century in IPL 2021.
Andre Russell: Irrespective of his age and current form, Andre Russell is always the X-factor for Kolkata Knight Riders. The West Indian all-rounder has played 84 matches in this competition, in which he has scored 1700 runs and has also picked up 72 wickets. The 33-year-old scored 183 runs last season at an average of 26.14 and a sensational strike rate of 152.50, while he also picked up 11 wickets at an average of 17.09. Russell will aim to be back at his best this season, especially with the bat, as he failed to cross the 200-run mark in both of last two seasons.
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