IPL 2018, CSK vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) probable playing 11 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Kolkata Knight Riders kick-started a new era for the franchise under the tutelage of captain Dinesh Karthik with a rather comfortable victory over Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The two-time IPL champs now move on to their next assignment as they travel to the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai to take on the Men in Yellow.

KKR and CSK have met a total of 17 times so far in the IPL. MS Dhoni's men hold the edge, winning 10 games, whereas the Kolkata outfit have chipped in with 6 victories of their own. One game was washed out.

Without further ado, let us look at the probable playing XI for the Kolkata Knight Riders against CSK.

Sunil Narine: The Trinidadian proved in KKR's opening encounter why the franchise decided to retain him. Not only did he put the brakes early on in RCB innings by scalping an on-song Brendon McCullum, his quickfire 50 off 19 balls laid down the foundation for KKR to complete a comfortable chase.

Narine would yet again be looking to come up with some nifty contributions against CSK, more so with the ball this time, given the slow nature of the Chepauk pitch.

Chris Lynn: If Kolkata's first match is anything to go by, this hard-hitting Aussie was not his 100 percent. Returning from a shoulder injury just in time to make it for KKR's opener, Lynn was a disappointment with the bat.

However, the Queenslander is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball, and on his day, he has the potential to clear any boundary. KKR would be hoping for just that.

Robin Uthappa: The Karnataka lad has been a key member of the KKR side ever since joining the franchise in 2014. Uthappa has always scored over 350 runs in all of the four seasons for the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise.

The 2014 Orange Cap winner looked in good nick before getting dismissed for 13 runs against RCB. He would be looking to get all gears running against CSK.

Nitish Rana: The uncapped Nitish Rana had a masterstroke of an over against RCB where he scaped both AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli off consecutive delivers. Rana delivered with the bat as well scoring a crucial 34 off 25 balls. The foundation is set for the Delhi lad to go big in this year's IPL and he would be looking to continue the good work against CSK.

Dinesh Karthik: KKR's new captain got off to a perfect start as he thoroughly fulfilled his duties as both the skipper and as a batsman. His decision to bowl Rana in the 15th over of RCB's innings turned out to be KKR's turning point in the game and his composed innings of 35 runs off 29 balls sealed the deal for the Men in Purple.

Karthik is in great nick with the bat and looks extremely confident in everything that he is doing. He will get another chance to prove the doubters wrong against MS Dhoni's side.

Andre Russell: One of the best T20 all-rounders in the world, Russell has the ability to cream the ball to any corner of the park. That, coupled with his vital seam bowling, makes the robust Jamaican the complete package. Russell did not look completely fit against RCB but will be looking to take things up a notch against Chennai.

Rinku Singh: Playing his first ever IPL match, Rinku Singh was seemingly assigned the role of a finisher for KKR as was evident from his wild swinging of the bat against Bangalore. While he didn't make a huge mark, the uncapped player from UP should get another crack at things.

Vinay Kumar: While he did not have an ideal encounter last time around, you'd reckon that Vinay Kumar would get another bite at the cherry for the variations that he has stocked in his arsenal. His occasional slower balls and the rudimentary in-swinger have toppled many batsmen in the past.

Piyush Chawla: The 29-year-old Chawla has bamboozled many willow-wielders with his well-disguised googly over the tenure of his long IPL career. Having scalped well over a 100 wickets in the competition, the leggie had a decent outing against Bangalore where he accounted for Quinton de Kock's wicket and would be hoping for more of the same in Chennai.

Mitchell Johnson: The sturdy Aussie quick is well past his prime but still packs a punch. However, with a certain Tom Curran waiting in the ranks, he would have to consistently perform for KKR. If the game against RCB is anything to go by, he has all the needed skills to do that.

Kuldeep Yadav: Belonging to the rare breed of chinaman bowlers, the left-armer took 12 wickets in 12 appearances for KKR last year. At a Chepauk pitch which will assist his abilities, Kuldeep would be raring to have a go at the Chennai batsmen with his beguiling googly.