IPL 2023: Match 61, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Predicted Playing XI vs Chennai Super Kings

After a humiliating defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in their last match, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will next take on Chennai Super Kings on May 14 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. With just 10 points in 12 matches, the Nitish Rana-led side is currently on the verge of getting eliminated and thus, cannot afford to drop a single point at the moment.

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In Chepauk, where the pitch is getting slower with every match, KKR bowlers might get some advantage but it’s their batters who will have to pull up their socks.

Against Rajasthan, Jason Roy and Rahmanullah Gurbaz managed to give a good start but once the wickets started tumbling, KKR collapsed under pressure. It has been the two-time champion’s biggest problem this season. The middle order batters have failed to remain consistent and that’s a massive worry at the moment. Will they make any changes against CSK in order to counter that? Let’s dissect -

Here's Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI against Chennai Super Kings:

Openers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Jason Roy

Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jason Roy have shown a lot of promise but the duo hasn’t outclassed any opponent so far. The England international has looked sharp from time to time but it’s time for him to take his game to the next level.

So far, the 32-year-old has scored 228 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 157.24. If he manages to keep up with his form and gives KKR a good start, CSK will be under tremendous pressure.

When it comes to his opening partner, Gurbaz has been inconsistent like many other KKR players. The Afghanistan international so far has smashed 216 runs in nine matches and thus, will be looking to get better. Nevertheless, he has been fantastic behind the stumps and thus, there’s only one area that he needs to improve on at the moment.

Middle order: Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh

Even though Venkatesh Iyer smashed a half-century in the last match against Rajasthan Royals, his strike rate was very much under the scanner. KKR have invested a lot of money in Iyer but in the last two years, he hasn’t been able to prove himself as one of the most dependable players in the squad. Against CSK, he will have a very good chance to prove his worth and help KKR rise higher on the IPL 2023 points table.

When it comes to Nitish Rana, the KKR skipper faced a lot of backlash for bowling the first over in the match against RR. Other than that, he has had a decent season so far, scoring 348 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 145.60. He has proved handy with the ball as well and thus, will be hoping to keep up with the momentum.

Rinku Singh meanwhile has been KKR’s poster boy. Whenever they are under some kind of pressure, Rinku has stepped up and delivered. However, the 25-year-old cannot do it time and again and thus, players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur will have to chip in as well.

So far, the cricketer has scored 353 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 146.47 and that’s a massive plus point for KKR as they have found a dependable finisher after Russell. He is one of the top contenders from KKR to bag the IPL 2023 Orange Cap.

All-rounders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur

All-rounder Andre Russell hasn’t been at his best in the ongoing IPL 2023 season. The West Indies international has scored 218 runs in 12 matches and his problems dealing with short balls are still very much evident. Thus, that is one area that the cricketer needs to improve. When it comes to his performance with the ball, the 35-year-old has picked up five wickets so far.

Meanwhile, Sunil Narine is having a nightmare of a season. Nothing is really working in his favour but despite that, KKR are still backing him. However, in Chepauk, where the spinners are likely to get some form of advantage, Narine can be a massive threat to deal with for CSK batters.

On the other hand, Shardul Thakur is very much familiar with the conditions at Chepauk. Even though he hasn’t been able to prove himself so far in the league, Thakur can be a possible threat for CSK batters in the powerplay. However, a lot depends on whether Nitish Rana trusts him with the ball or not. 

Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy

The pace duo of Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana has proved to be effective. Coming to Rana, even though the pacer is conceding a lot of runs, he is also picking up crucial wickets. Arora on the other hand has room to improve but KKR will be happy with his progress so far. 

Lastly, Varun Chakravarthy is KKR’s biggest weapon against CSK. The spin wizard has picked up 17 wickets in 12 matches so far and with that, he is currently sixth in the IPL Purple Cap race. Needless to say that on spin-friendly tracks, the cricketer can prove to be extremely dangerous in the middle overs and thus, CSK batters need to be a bit cautious while playing against him.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Probable Playing XI:

Jason Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Probable Impact Players

Kulwant Khejroliya, Anukul Roy, Mandeep Singh, Suyash Sharma, Lockie Ferguson