Cricket's biggest T20 event in the world, the Indian Premier League is all set to begin on March 26, 2022 with a much-awaited match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. Both the teams last met each other in the final of IPL 2021. Chennai Super Kings won their fourth IPL title by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in that match. Here's a look at how both the teams shape up ahead of a much-awaited encounter.
CSK vs KKR, Match Preview - IPL 2022, Match 01
Chennai Super Kings: After IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Chennai Super Kings managed to bring back their core players in the team. Ruturaj Gaikwad will be seen as the opening batsman. Moeen Ali will be seen on the field on number three. Currently, Moeen Ali is not available for the first match due to visa issues while traveling from UK to India.
The team includes MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja etc in the middle order. In the all-rounder department, Dwayne Bravo is in the team. Chennai Super Kings spent a huge amount for Deepak Chahar, however, as per reports, he is likely to miss a major part of the tournament due to injury. It will be interesting to see who replaces him in the playing XI.
Kolkata Knight Riders: After making it to the finals in 2021, Kolkata Knight Riders will be interested to go all the way and achieve their third IPL title this time. The franchise will be led by a new captain Shreyas Iyer. Venkatesh Iyer is another player to watch for this season. The batting unit comprises of Nitish Rana, Ajinkya Rahane and Sam Billings to name a few.
Mainstays like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine will provide balance in the team. Pat Cummins will lead the fast bowling department along with Umesh Yadav and Shivam Mavi. For the spin, Varun Chakraborty and Naren will remain as the biggest bets in the team.