KKR vs CSK 29th Match Prediction

KKR vs CSK Team Previews

Kolkata Knight Riders

IPL 2019 is going to be defined by what Andre Russell has been able to achieve. He has been unstoppable this year and has led Kolkata to a number of victories single-handedly. No other player has hit more sixes, has a better strike-rate, or has had more impact on matches than Andre Russell.

It is worth remembering that Andre Russell could have been out cheaply against Chennai in the last match they played had Harbhajan Singh clung on to a swirling high-catch. He eventually did manage to get to 50 but at a lower strike rate than against any other team. Russell is going to be attacked with some quality spin once again and will be tested severely.

Shubman Gill was given a chance at the top of the order against Delhi and he played a brilliant inning. He should retain that position for the next few matches even if Lynn makes a comeback. Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn should come back into the side if they are fit which would mean that Joe Denly and Carlos Brathwaite miss out.

The team certainly appears stronger with Lynn and Narine in the side but we will have to see about their availability on match day itself.

Kolkata also faltered with its bowling plans. Prasiddh Krishna has not been in the wickets and the overseas pace bowlers have not been very good either. Harry Gurney started very well for KKR but has since struggled to receive regular chances for the side ever since.

Kolkata has no reason to panic just yet but it needs to stop the slide before it gets any worse.

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai came into IPL 2019 with almost the same set of players it won with in 2018. They are the oldest side in the IPL, in terms of age, and don’t have any new age T20 superstars either. Yet, they somehow find a way to keep winning.

In their previous match, Chennai needed 18 runs off the last over with Mitchell Santner and Ravindra Jadeja about to face the bulk of the deliveries. Santner smashed a six off the last ball when three runs were required and won CSK the match.

The only match that Chennai has lost so far was against Mumbai at a pitch with some bounce in it. The playing surface at the Eden Gardens is going to be very similar to the one in Mumbai as well.

Such a surface makes run scoring a lot easier and that is not Chennai’s strength. Their batting has not clicked just yet. Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, and Amabati Rayadu are all very experienced T20 players but they have not hit been at their best.

Watson has been out in the powerplay more than any other batsman in IPL 2019. He needs to find his hitting range sooner rather than later for Chennai to be more comfortable with their batting.

While there are a few questions over the Chennai batting, there are no concerns over the bowling. Deepak Chahar has been sensational with the new ball while Imran Tahir has been very good during the middle overs.

Shardul Thakur has struggled a little this year and so we might see Scott Kuggeleijn make a come back into the side. Harbhajan Singh has not been played in games away from Chennai where the surface is not helpful to spin and so he may continue to warm the bench for this match.