KKR look to gain upper-hand in the race for top 4 against eliminated CSK

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be vying for two crucial points when they take on the Chennai Superkings who have nothing but pride to play for. Having missed the playoffs bus,, CSK will be taking the field for the first time in their IPL history knowing they have nothing at stake. With the tournament at its business end, every victory will be crucial and the Knight Riders will be hoping they can motivate themselves just that much more than their opponents for the night.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have been somewhat of an enigma in the Dream11 IPL 2020. Their last three games perfectly encapsulate their season. After being beaten by RCB hands down, KKR showed up to beat the in-form Delhi Capitals by a 59-run margin. That joy was short-lived as another insipid performance followed in their defeat to KXIP just when they seemed to have turned over a new leaf.

It has been their Indian contingent that has come up trumps for the Knight Riders. Shubman Gill’s return to form is a good sign, while Nitish Rana was the top-scorer in their victory over the Capitals. In the bowling department, it has been Varun Chakravarthy who has shone under the leadership of Morgan and the chirpy Dinesh Karthik from behind the stumps. Of the 6 games they have won, 5 of those games have had an Indian player being the player of the match. KKR will however be hoping that their overseas contingent comes good soon and propel the team in their final push for the elusive playoff spot.

The Chennai Superkings will have to endure another 8 more “painful hours” in the tournament. They finally found the spark they were looking for in Ruturaj Gaikwad who aced the chase against RCB. CSK coach Stephen Fleming had pointed out that the squad was built for Chennai conditions, and on a track which suited them, the Chennai team looked much more like the teams from the past - choking their opponents with slow bowlers in the middle overs, and using variations effectively at the death.

The last time the two teams met, it was KKR who snatched victory from a position where CSK looked like they had all but the game wrapped up. The CSK batting crumbled under the pressure of a run-chase to fall 10 runs short. Returning to the venue which appears to have slowed down considerably, Chennai will feel much more at home. KKR will just be hoping that it is their team that beat the Capitals handsomely that decides to turn up on the night in Dubai.