IPL 6: Kolkata Knight Riders seek for batting revival

Date – 20th April 2013

Time – 4.00 p.m (IST)

It has been mixed start to this season for the Chennai Super Kings – losing two home games and then succeeding in two away games. Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, would be extremely disappointed with the outcome against Kings XI Punjab as their batting unit failed.

Chennai Super Kings would be relieved after their comprehensive win over Delhi Daredevils. Hussey played a brilliant knock of 65*, while MS Dhoni exploited the start that was given by the openers. Murali Vijay finally found his form at the right moment as he was timing the ball to perfection against the Daredevils fast bowlers. Suresh Raina, once again, couldn’t convert his start into a meaningful innings. He has been the key protagonist for Chennai Super Kings at the top of the order and if he gets going, then Chennai Super Kings have a brighter chance of winning the trophy for the third time. One of the aspects of the Super Kings is that they have quality Indian domestic batsmen, because of which they are able to produce the desired results.

Another advantage that the Super Kings have is that every player is aware of his role. For example, Badrinath’s job is to re-construct the innings when the team is in trouble, like what he did against the Pune Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore. But still many of us don’t know why Bravo is not batting up the order. Remember, Bravo has opened the innings for Trinidad and Tobago. He has got the experience of playing on a fast track, and therefore he should bat up the order. Many of us are not pleased with Dhoni’s captaincy. He hasn’t used his resources efficiently. He hasn’t preserved Nannes for a couple of overs at the death, and hasn’t used Ashwin to perfection. With Nannes returning from an injury, it would be interesting to see the combination.

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have a significant task at hand when they take on the steady Chennai Super Kings. They have quality Indian domestic players at the top of the order, who are completely out of form. Yusuf Pathan has not lived up to expectations. Manoj Tiwary had an outstanding IPL 5, but is now struggling for momentum. Eoin Morgan and Gautam Gambhir have been the consistent performers for the Knight Riders. Nevertheless, Gambhir would be hoping for a solid batting performance against the Chennai Super Kings.

Pitch and Conditions

The wicket looks pretty good for batting and it is expected to turn as the game progresses. Since the match begins at 4’o clock, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bat first.

Players to watch

Gautam Gambhir – He has been the consistent performer for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He looks in great rhythm as he was timing the ball to perfection. He has to score the runs for the Knight Riders as the middle order batsmen are completely out of form. He can be a dangerous batsman once he settles down.

Suresh Raina – Suresh Raina has played some memorable knocks for the Chennai Super Kings. He has been the trump card for the Super Kings for the past three seasons. With Suresh Raina out of form, Super Kings find it bit difficult to accelerate in the middle period of the innings. However, he has found his form against Daredevils as he played some delightful shots, which was missing in the first couple of games. He has a perfect technique as a batsman and therefore, you can expect fireworks from him.

Prediction

The wicket looks dry, but it is expected to turn as the game progresses. Chennai Super Kings have a slight edge over the Knight Riders as they are riding on a sea of confidence with a comprehensive win over the Delhi Daredevils. Kolkata’s Indian domestic batsmen are completely out of form, while Chennai Super Kings have a strong middle order, who can steady the innings at any point of time. That is why Chennai Super Kings are favourites to win this match.