Ajinkya Rahane, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has opted to bat first in their final league match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Eden Gardens. With three league games remaining, KKR are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, needing to secure victories in all. Meanwhile, CSK are out of the playoffs race.
Riding on the momentum of two consecutive wins, where they set the target in both instances, Rahane cited the team’s recent success and conditions as reasons for choosing to bat. The pitch at Eden Gardens had a slightly uneven appearance before the start, hinting that spinners could play a crucial role as the game progresses.
Venkatesh Iyer is absent for KKR, having injured his hand during practice. Manish Pandey has been called up to fill the gap. KKR’s squad promises depth in batting, with Moeen Ali penned in at number 9. Among potential Impact Players, Harshit Rana is a strong candidate, though Anukul Roy or Mayank Markande could also be selected, particularly if spin proves significant.
The Chennai Super Kings have introduced three changes to their lineup. Urvil Patel makes his debut, coming in for the injured Vansh Bedi, along with returns for seasoned offspinner R Ashwin and New Zealand batsman Devon Conway. They replace Shaik Rasheed, Deepak Hooda, and Sam Curran. On the bench, Shivam Dube is anticipated to be their Impact Player for the chase.
Kolkata Knight Riders line-up: Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy. Impact Player options: Anrich Nortje, Mayank Markande, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia.
Chennai Super Kings line-up: Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Devon Conway, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, R Ashwin, MS Dhoni (capt, wk), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana. Impact Player options: Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh.
KKR and CSK stick to their strategies as the league approaches its climax. What’s certain is that Eden Gardens’ surface and the teams’ tactical shifts will keep fans intrigued.
