"He is quite flexible and very attacking" - Sam Curran wants KKR to partner Sunil Narine with Venkatesh Iyer at the top for IPL 2022 opener

England all-rounder Sam Curran hopes to see the opening combination of Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine for the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) opening encounter against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2022.

The two-time champions need to find a new pair at the top following Shubman Gill's departure.

With Aaron Finch unavailable due to his commitments with the Australian national team, Ajinkya Rahane and Nitish Rana present themselves as other prominent options.

Curran feels that Sunil Narine's versatility and attacking nature could prove handy for KKR in the powerplay overs. The left-arm all-rounder said on ESPNcricinfo:

"The opening for Kolkata for the first game would probably be; I guess Venkatesh Iyer, he is a really good player, you could see that last year. I quite like Sunil Narine at the top. quite flexible and very attacking.

"He is not going to hang around. I've played with him last season in the English tournament here, so I would go with those two I reckon."

Sunil Narine was KKR's go-to opener a few seasons ago. The Caribbean international was paired with the likes of Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill before fading out.

However, Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla wishes to see a left-right opening combination of Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane for KKR's matchup against the defending champions.

The 33-year-old said:

"I think Venkatesh Iyer, the way he batted in the UAE last year, should open. The other opener could either be Ajinkya Rahane or Nitish Rana. Personally, if you ask me it should be Rahane because of the left-right combination. KKR would also want another left-hander in the middle order, so Rana can be that option."

KKR's upcoming clash against CSK will be Shreyas Iyer's first game as captain of the franchise. The 26-year-old was roped in by the 2021 IPL finalists for a sum of ₹12.5 crore and was handed the leadership responsibilities right away.

Opining that Iyer would play the role of an anchor rather than an aggressor, Chawla said:

"I don't think Iyer will be very aggressive, because he will be someone who will anchor the innings for KKR. Just making sure that the team is going well in the batting unit."

Curran, on the other hand, was of the opinion that captaincy would prompt Iyer to play in an aggressive manner. The 23-year-old said:

"Iyer, as captain, is going to be an attacking, entertaining player. He is going to have the backing of himself to bat where he wants in the line-up as the captain and I'm sure he will have a fantastic season."

Iyer led the Delhi Capitals for two and a half seasons, which included their maiden finals appearance, before parting ways with the franchise.

"Either Chris Jordan or one Indian seamer will come into the side" - Piyush Chawla on Deepak Chahar's replacement against KKR

All-rounder Deepak Chahar has been ruled out of the majority portion of the IPL due to a hamstring injury.

The 29-year-old will prove to be a huge absence for CSK, especially in the swing-friendly conditions of Maharashtra.

Sam Curran and Piyush Chawla have both backed Chris Jordan to replace the Indian seamer in the playing XI. Chawla said:

"I think Adam Milne is a certain inclusion in the playing XI, so either Chris Jordan or one Indian seamer will come into the side in place of Deepak Chahar."

Curran said:

"I would go with my England teammate Chris Jordan and obviously one between Adam Milne or Dwayne Bravo. So that would be two overseas pacers. Then, Devon Conway at the top. And again, my teammate, Moeen Ali, great season last year, would be a huge loss for the first game. But, I am sure he will be straight back in."

KKR versus CSK is slated to take place at the Wankhede Stadium on March 26 (Saturday), according to the IPL 2022 schedule.