Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Chepauk Stadium on Sunday (May 14).
Captains' comments
MS Dhoni: We'll bat first. We've been slightly uncertain about the wicket, and as the tournament has progressed the pitch gets slow. Throughout the years, we have told openers to assess the pitch quickly and find what's a good score. After 6-8 overs we need to revisit our score because the ball loses its shine. I think we have done really well, but fielding is one department where we need to step up. Can improve 5-10%. Same XI for this game.
Nitish Rana: Would have liked to bat first as well. The deck looks sticky, so would have wanted to bat first and get our spinners in play. I think pressure was there in the first game as well, it is there now as well. Such is the IPL, we can't take it lightly. If any department falters, then 90% the result goes against you. So we need to be clinical in all departments. One change for us - Anukul Roy goes out, Vaibhav Arora comes in.
FOLLOW THE CSK VS KKR's LIVE SCORES HERE
CSK VS KKR HEAD-TO-HEAD IN IPL
Matches played: 27
Chennai Super Kings won: 18
Kolkata Knight Riders won: 9
Last result: Chennai Super Kings won by 49 runs (2023)
Last five results: CSK won - 4; KKR won - 1
Pitch Report
“61 meters square boundary on one side, 70 on the other, and 77 down the ground. (Pitch) Looked the same back in 2010 when I was playing. Really really dry. Lack of grass. (Ball is) Going to hold up in this wicket. When you think back to the last innings here - Moeen Ali ripping a couple past the left-hander's bat. Going to be a lot of spin. Got to bat first, no doubt about it. Par score about 160-165,” Sanjay Manjrekar and Matthew Hayden analysed the pitch.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana.
Chennai Super Kings Subs: Matheesha Pathirana, Nishant Sindhu, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Jason Roy, Nitish Rana(c), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Kolkata Knight Riders Subs: Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, N Jagadeesan, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
RR vs RCB: Faf Du Plessis breaks Virat Kohli's record, becomes 4th fastest to clinch THIS massive IPL milestone
‘Started thinking I am a replacement of Kohli’: India's star player gives blast from past in shocking admission on 2020 Test debut
