The wait is finally over! IPL is back to lit up the summer of 2022. The world’s toughest T20 league will return home and fans can’t wait to see the spectacle unfold. The season opener will be the high-voltage clash between 2 old finals who last faced each other in the finals of IPL 2021. Reigning champions CSK will lock horns with KKR in the iconic Wankhede Stadium of Mumbai. One of the greatest captains of all time, M S Dhoni shocked his fans after handing over the leadership baton to Ravindra Jadeja just two days prior to the first match. KKR as well will play under a new skipper after Shreyas Iyer took over the reins of the team after the auction. Therefore, it’s an end of an era and a start of a new chapter for two of the most successful franchises of IPL. Both the teams will therefore be upbeat to start off on a winning note.
Match Details
IPL 15 | Match No. 01 | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Date :Â Saturday, March 26, 2022
Time :Â 7:30 PM IST
Venue :Â Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Where To Watch :Â Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar
Pitch Report
The Wankhede track is a haven for batters. The small dimensions of the ground and the flat wicket with little covering of grass favor the batters. Fast bowlers will initially get a bit of movement with the new ball but the ball will come nicely to the bat. The Wankhede stadium has witnessed several high-scoring encounters. The average score batting first is 194 while that on batting in the 2nd innings drops to 182. On winning the toss, opting to field first is preferable.
Weather Forecast
Mostly clear skies are predicted with little chances of precipitation. The mean temperature will be around 30‎°C alongside humidity close to 85%.
CSK vs KKR: Head to Head
These two IPL giants have faced each other in altogether 25 matches. CSK have won on 17 occasions while KKR have emerged victorious in the remaining 8 matches. The last time these two sides clashed, it was at the finals of IPL 2021. In that game, CSK outclassed KKR by 27 runs to be crowned champions for the 4th time.
CSK vs KKR Dream 11 Top Picks
Ravindra Jadeja
It will new challenge for Sir Ravindra Jadeja to be at the helm of one of the most successful franchises of IPL. The flamboyant all-rounder is in blistering form both with the bat and ball. His captaincy acumen will surely be under the scanner, but Jadeja will also need to take more responsibility as a batter who can score big runs and finish games for his teams. The 33-year old southpaw has aggregated 2386 runs in 151 innings at a strike rate close to 130. The left-arm spinner has also picked up 127 scalps at an economy of just 7.61. Jadeja is definitely one of the best all-rounders of the IPL and a terrific match-winner.
Andre Russell
The Caribbean power hitter is a nemesis for bowlers in the death overs. Perhaps the most destructive batter of his generation, Russell smashes huge sixes for fun with a monstrous strike rate of 178.57. Once settled, he is unstoppable. Also a clinical wicket-taker, he likes to hit the deck hard and his raw pace is enough to restrict batters from attempting any rash shot. KKR’s most prized cricketer, Russell will look forward to start the proceedings of IPL 2022 with a bang!
Shreyas Iyer
KKR’s new skipper, Shreyas Iyer is at the pinnacle of his career. After scoring 3 back-to-back fifties against Windies in the T20I series, Iyer is firmly in contention for India’s WT20 2022 squad. Iyer will be geared up to lead the 2-times IPL winning franchise KKR and lead them to their dream 3rd title. Unlike Jadeja, Iyer has previously been the captain of DC and was quite successful at his job. With more experience in the international circuit added with the class and talent he already possesses, the swashbuckling cricketer will go all out in IPL 2022. No doubt, he will be a key player to watch out for in the season opener.
Dream 11 Fantasy Team 1 For CSK vs KKR
Wicketkeepers: Sam Billings
Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine
Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Adam Milne, Dwayne Bravo
Dream11 Captain & Vice-Captain Choice For Today’s Match
Captain: Andre Russell
Vice-Captain: Shreyas Iyer
Dream 11 Fantasy Team 2 For CSK vs KKR
Wicketkeepers: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Batters: Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell
Bowlers: Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Adam Milne
Dream11 Captain & Vice-Captain Choice For Today’s Match
Captain: Ravindra Jadeja
Vice-Captain: Shreyas Iyer
CSK vs KKR Probable XI
Chennai Super Kings
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shivam Dube, Dwayne Bravo, Tushar Deshpande, Chris Jordan / Maheesh Theekshana, Adam Milne
Kolkata Knight Riders
Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (c), Sam Billings (wk), Andre Russell, Mohammad Nabi / Tim Southee, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
Match Prediction: Who Will Win?
It will not be surprising if the inaugural match of IPL 15 goes down the wire. Both the franchises will look forward to a flying start to their campaign. KKR will be desperate to avenge their loss in the summit clash of IPL 14. CSK too will aim to give a tough fight as they set out to retain their title. Pressure will be on both teams, and the one who soaks it better will have the upper hand.CSK will miss their premier seamer Deepak Chahar and star all-rounder Moeen Ali while the likes of Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins will be unavailable for KKR. CSK seems to have an edge over KKR on the basis of their past encoounters, but a nail-biting clash is all that we can expect from the series opener of IPL 2022.