IPL 2018, KKR vs CSK: 5 player battles to look forward to 

It is the battle of the 1st and 4th placed teams in the table at the Eden Gardens tonight and if the previous game between these sides is anything to go by, then another run-fest could be on the offing.

The hosts Kolkata Knight Riders would like to go on a run of wins now so that they can make it to the top 2 and Chennai Super Kings would want to consolidate their position at the top of the table. These are two star-studded teams filled with excellent local talent and the ultimate outcome of the game will be decided by some of the individual battles that are going to be witnessed tonight.

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#5 Chris Lynn v Ravindra Jadeja

The Indian all-rounder hasn’t bowled much in the tournament in the recent past but in CSK’s last game Ravindra Jadeja bowled his full quota of overs and returned figures of 1/31. He claimed the wicket of Glenn Maxwell and derailed Delhi Daredevils chase of 211. Following that performance, it is expected that he would bowl tonight again and more importantly, Dhoni would probably introduce him against KKR’s big-hitting opening batsman Chris Lynn.

The Australian has not been in great hitting form but has managed to score runs, albeit at a strike rate of 131.91 and his troubles against spin bowling has become quite apparent. However, against left-arm spin, he has been particularly poor in the IPL this year and has managed to score only 25 runs in the 27 instances in which he has faced up to such a bowler. Additionally, he has been dismissed twice by left-arm spinners as well and hence, his battle tonight with Ravindra Jadeja is going to be a crucial one. He cannot afford to get bogged down again.

#4 Shivam Mavi v Ambati Rayudu

Following the pullout by Mitchell Starc and the ordinary show by other foreign recruits and domestic ones alike (Vinay Kumar anyone?), under-19 star Shivam Mavi has emerged as KKR’s most impressive fast bowler. In the 6 games so far, he has recorded an economy rate of 10.11 but that is heavily skewed due to the battering he took at DD (1/58 in 4 overs) two games ago. In fact, in his previous game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he came up with an excellent spell and although he took no wickets, he troubled the batsmen.

Tonight, he will come up against one of the most in-form batsmen in this year’s IPL in the form of CSK’s Ambati Rayudu and that is a battle that promises to be a mighty interesting one. He has been CSK’s most consistent player and has emerged as their top scorer with a total of 370 runs. He is averaging 46.25 and has also recorded a superb strike rate of 156.11. However, in Mavi, he would face a bowler who can work up some serious pace and like he showed in his last game during his spell to Virat Kohli, he can hold his own against the best.

#3 Andre Russell v Dwayne Bravo

The battle of the West Indian all-rounders is going to be one of the headline battles in tonight’s game and more specifically, it is going to be between Andre Russell’s batting and Dwayne Bravo’s bowling. In the previous game, Russell slammed a 36 ball 88 and hit 11 sixes to propel KKR to 202. In that innings, he hit Bravo for 5 sixes and it is interesting to note that it was not an isolated event.

Russell actually has an outstanding record against his fellow West Indian and in the 102 balls that he has faced from him, he has smashed 216 runs and has recorded an astonishing strike rate of 211.8. So, there is going to be a showdown yet again between the two at the Eden Gardens tonight and one would hope that Bravo has some new tricks up his sleeve so that he can keep his compatriot quiet.

#2 Kuldeep Yadav v MS Dhoni

For many who have been privileged enough to watch MS Dhoni bat this year, it feels as if he has wound the clock black and his batting at the level that made him one of the world’s most dangerous power-hitters. The CSK captain has been in absolutely brutal hitting form and has emerged as the second highest run-scorer for the team with a total of 286 runs. What is even more noteworthy is the fact that he is averaging a whopping 71.50 and striking at 169.23. He has been the difference in many games so far and even in his previous game against DD, he brutalized the opposition attack in the death overs.

Tonight he would come up against one of the better spin attacks in the tournament and his battle with Indian star Kuldeep Yadav is going to be the one to watch. While Dhoni has been brutal against pace, he may be a bit subdued against quality spin and that is where Yadav comes in. In the middle-overs, this is a battle that will go a long way in deciding the direction of the CSK innings and the left-arm leg-spinner’s economy rate of 7.93 so far (along with 7 wickets) is a clear proof that he is someone KKR can bank on if they are to get Dhoni early.

#5 Sunil Narine v Shane Watson

He is among the best spin bowlers in the IPL but in his last two games KKR’s star spinner Sunil Narine went wicketless and that should be cause for worry for the team. However, in tonight’s game, he perhaps has the opportunity to get back his wicket-taking form when he comes up against CSK’s marauding opening batsman Shane Watson. The KKR bowler has come up against the Australian in T20 cricket on 13 occasions and has claimed his wicket 6 times.

That being said, it is also important to keep in mind that Watson has been in rollicking form and scored a brutal 78 in his last game against DD. He is averaging 35.12 and striking at 166.27 and has been responsible for the fast starts that CSK have got off to in the IPL so far. KKR might look to introduce Narine in the Powerplay to get Watson early on and it could be a match-defining battle, as whoever manages to win it will give his team an upper hand in tonight’s game.