IPL 2022: CSK's consistency vs KKR's unpredictability first up

Indian Premier League (IPL) champions. Since then, a mega-auction has happened, both Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have acquired a new look with their cores intact. And now they are back in the cauldron of Wankhede to kickstart a new season. The CSK-KKR rivalry isn’t exactly top billing, with the Chennai team generally having the better of the exchanges, including the last final. But KKR have had an X-factor over the years that always makes them an uncomfortable team to play first up. Probably, CSK’s bitterest-ever defeat in IPL came in the 2012 final at Chepauk against KKR when Manvinder Bisla played a blinder. Since then, CSK have always been cautious going into this fixture, more so due to the presence of the likes of West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. These two players have bothered the four-time champions time and again and CSK will try to ensure that the duo does not get going on Saturday.

KKR have a new skipper in Shreyas Iyer who is a superb T20 cricketer and can change the game on his own. Add to that left-hander Venkatesh Iyer, a revelation in the UAE leg of the IPL last season. These two are also match-winners in their own right and CSK will look to get them early so that they don’t get the early momentum. But it’s probably the balance of the rest of the KKR team which looks a little short on paper, and that’s what is going to be targeted by CSK.

MS Dhoni has just quit as the skipper of the team, handing over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja, but it’s unlikely to make any difference to the way they go about their job. They know that with Pat Cummins still unavailable due to international commitments, pace bowling will be an area of concern for KKR. Tim Southee hasn’t always been hugely