IPL 2022 | CSK vs KKR | Pre-match analysis

It is that time of the year again, where every cricket fanatic around the world gets glued to their electronic devices and multiple youngsters get a chance to make an impact in the world of cricket. We are kick-starting with the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League with two new teams making their way into the tournament. It's gonna be a jam-packed tournament with a lot of fresh faces backed with experienced players in the team setup.


The tournament kickstarts with a banger where the Chennai Super Kings face off against Kolkata Knight Riders, a repeat of the last IPL final. So before we get geared up, it is always interesting to know some facts and analysis of a cricket match and improve our knowledge of the game. 


Let us first analyze some of the interesting battles between the batters and the bowlers:-

Matchups

  1. Andre Russell vs DJ Bravo



The battle between Russell and Bravo has always been an interesting but predominantly one-sided affair with the former dominating the latter. As we can see in the above chart, Russell has a strike rate of a whopping 232 and 400 in the middle and death overs respectively and he scores a boundary at less than 3 balls in the middle overs. It will be interesting to see how Bravo tackles Russell once they come face to face on March 26.

  1. Aaron Finch vs Deepak Chahar 

The experienced Aaron Finch was announced as the replacement for Alex hales and he is touted to occupy the opening slot along with Venkatesh Iyer. Finch has always struggled against swing in the powerplay, especially the ones that swing into the batter. 


Here we can see that Deepak Chahar has had the better of Finch twice in 17 balls and his swing bowling early on made Finch take a more defensive approach in the powerplay. Finch will be up for a challenge against the likes of Adam Milne and Rajvardhan Hangargekar who are known not only for their pace but their ability to swing the ball early in the powerplay.


  1. Ambati Rayudu vs Sunil Narine

Ambati Rayudu has been the backbone of CSK in the top and middle-order ever since their comeback in 2018 scoring 1499 runs and striking at 130. His Duel with Sunil Narine is one to watch out for. He has been very sedate against Narine in the powerplay, striking at just 37.5 with a dot ball every 1.45 balls. 


Though he has remained not out in the powerplay, he has got out thrice to Narine in the middle overs and struck at just above 107 with a high ball per boundary value of 8. Sunil Narine might have lost the touch he possessed earlier but he is still a tricky bowler to face.


  1. MS Dhoni vs Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy

MS Dhoni might have lost the touch that he had possessed a few years back but his struggles against spin have been quite evident throughout his IPL career in comparison to his performances against pacers. He has been dismissed 17 times against leg spinners and struck at a meager 108 and a high dot percentage of 42 (highest among all types of bowlers). 


His struggle against Narine in IPL has been constant throughout seasons and he scored his first boundary against Narine last year in IPL. His record against Narine in the death is below par striking at just below 60 without any boundaries. He has also faced CV Varun thrice in his career and has been dismissed all three times with a googly. 

Team-wise Performance

Batting Performance

Under this chart, let us analyze the batting performance of both teams across all three phases of play since 2018.


First, let's analyze the performances of CSK. In the powerplay, CSK have predominantly gone for sedate starts striking at close to 115 with a boundary in every over (Balls per boundary of 5.63). They have struck at a considerably higher strike rate of 121 in the middle overs at around 7.25 runs per over and a considerably low dot percentage due to an increase in strike rotation tendency. 

But they had complete shifted the gears in the death overs by striking at a colossal 185 at 11.1 runs per over and a very high runs per dismissal value of 33 another interesting fact to note is that they have got dismissed the least number of times in the death overs among all the teams in the past 4 years (58 times).

Kolkata, on the other hand, have struck at a reasonably higher strike rate of 124.4, at marginally higher runs per over and at lower balls per boundary. 

Though they struck at a higher rate than CSK in the middle overs, their runs per dismissal rate were also much lower in comparison to CSK’s and they had lost the most number of wickets in the middle overs among any team since 2018 (189 dismissals). 

Though their run rate in the death overs seems to be a pleasing number, they seem to have a considerably high dot percentage and third-lowest runs per overvalue in this phase among teams since 2018 (9.41).

Bowling Performance

Under this chart, let us analyze the batting performance of both teams across all three phases of play since 2018.


Analyzing CSK’s performance- So here we can see that CSK have generally been able to get a wicket at an average in the powerplay and they have also been able to maintain a very good dot percentage value(highest among all teams) and economy rate. They have maintained an equally good record in the middle overs and have considered a boundary only every 8 balls. 

But when it comes to the death overs, they have leaked a lot of runs with a very high economy rate (highest among all the teams) and also took over 15 balls to fetch a wicket (highest among all the teams). Chennai would be eager to rectify their death bowling with the combo of Jordan, Bravo and Milne. 

Analyzing KKR’s performance - KKR had a similar trend in comparison to CSK in the powerplay but the latter maintained a better economy rate and higher balls per boundary. KKR had a much better wicket-taking ability in the middle overs with a wicket every 20 balls which is the lowest among all the teams since 2018. 


They also have a significantly better record in the death overs in comparison to CSK with a wicket every 11 balls, a better economy rate of 9.78 and a higher dot percentage of 37.82(highest among all the teams). KKR don't have an all-out death bowler but with the experienced combo of Russell, Southee and Shivam Mavi, we will expect a jam-packed performance from them.

Bowling type stats at Wankhede

The following piechart gives a basic overview of the percentage of wickets taken by each bowling type in Wankhede.



The piechart clearly shows that close to 50 per cent of the wickets in Wankhede have been taken by right-arm fast and fast-medium pacers. Though spinners have got some assistance out of the surface with about 20 per cent of the wickets taken by off-spinners, the pitch has mostly been dominant for pace bowlers, especially in the powerplay and ever since 2018, the contribution by off-spinners have come down to 13.2 per cent.

An interesting point to note here is that, although Wankhede has always favoured pacers in the powerplay to swing the ball early up and though we expect a similar trend of dominance from pacers in the other phases, close to 45 per cent of the wickets in the middle overs in Wankhede has been taken by spinners and 32 per cent of them are from off-spinners.
 

Interesting Facts

  1. Ambati Rayudu has a strike rate of over 125 against most of the types of bowlers except leg spinners. He has scored 214 runs in 218 balls and has been dismissed a whopping 8 times against them in the middle overs since 2018.

  1. Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana too have had a fair share of trouble against the wrist spinners since 2018. The former has been dismissed 10 times in the middle overs by leg spinners and struck at a mere 107.2 while the latter has also been dismissed 10 times but struck at a better strike rate of 119

  1. Nitish Rana also had a fair share of problems against right-arm fast bowlers in the powerplay. He has a meager strike rate of 71 in the powerplay and has been dismissed 4 times in the 63 balls he faced against them in this phase.

  1. CSK sensation, Ruturaj Gaikwad has proven to be a consistent performer and has been applauded for the way he paces his innings but he too has his fair share of problems against left-arm pacers in the powerplay. He has a below-par strike rate of 79 and he has been also dismissed 5 times in 8 innings against the pace attack.


These analytically driven stats give us a clear idea of where the teams stand and also gives us an overall SWOT analysis. It also gives a good viewpoint for the fans to understand the differences involved before they dive deep into the live game.

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IPL 2022 | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Match 1 - Preview, Predictions, Probable XI, Fantasy XI

And, so here we are! Finally, after weeks of anticipation, analysis, predictions etc., the biggest party of the summer- the Indian Premier League (IPL) - will commence on Saturday (March 26), where defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK)lock horns with last years' runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Saturday's game will usher a new era for CSK and IPL, as it will be the first that MS Dhoni will not lead the 'Yellow Army'. The 2022 season is expected to be Dhoni's swan song from the lucrative T20 league, but no one in their wildest dreams would have thought he won't be leading his beloved franchise for one final time this year. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Ravindra Jadeja has been picked as Dhoni's successor, and he will be making his captaincy debut on Saturday. It won't be an easy task for Jadeja, though he has such humongous shoes to fill, plus the fact that he has never captained a T20 side before. But, the good thing is that he will have the presence of Dhoni on the field for guidance. Speaking of CSK's squad, the defending champions retained most of their core during the mega-auction. They have replaced Faf du Plessis with another overseas opener in Devon Conway. Still, their top-5 remains the same in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, followed by MSD and all-rounders like Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo. Moeen Ali will miss the first game as he has just arrived in the country. However, Shivam Dube is expected to make it to starting XI, while Adam Milne and Tushar Deshpande are likely to spearhead the pace department. Death bowling is a matter of concern for CSK, and with Chris Jordan being not the force he once used to be, the onus will once again be on Bravo (albeit he's a pale shadow of himself) to step up to the party. It will also be interesting to see if CSK take a punt on rookie seam-bowling all-rounder in the form of Rajvardhan Hangargekar. Like the last season, CSK has a deep batting line-up and multi skill set of cricketers. Also, with Moeen not available for the first game, CSK may be tempted to slot in Mahesh Theekshana in the playing XI to bolster their spin department. As for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they will also kickstart a new era under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. KKR's top-4 is slated to be Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Iyer, who more or less operate at the same tempo. So, it will be interesting to see if they go with this top-4 or will they use Sunil Narine as a pinch-hitter during the powerplay. Venkatesh had a brilliant season last year, and the onus will again be on him to provide explosive starts to his side. Venky Iyer's strike rate dips after the powerplay, and that's where the likes of Nitish Rana and Shreyas, a renowned spin-basher, will come in handy. Last season, KKR struggled with their middle-order batting, and this time, the onus will be on Shreyas, Sam Billings and Andre Russell to ensure it doesn't happen again. With Pat Cummins unavailable for the first few games, Tim Southee would get a place in the starting XI. He, alongside Umesh Yadav and Shivam Mavi, are set to spearhead the fast bowling unit. One of KKR's major issues with the ball in the past few seasons is their inability to pick wickets in the power play consistently. But, that shouldn't be an issue this time, given the fact that Umesh and Southee are proven power play specialists. That said, their death bowling still leaves a lot to be desired, and it's expected that they will have to turn to Russell and Narine to do the dirty work. Match Details: Date - 26th March 2022 Time - 07:30 PM IST Venue - Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Broadcast - Star Sports, Disney Hotstar Pitch Report: The pitch at Wankhede has traditionally been a safe haven for batters. True bounce and pace off the surface make for delightful stroke-making and short dimensions of the ground, making it even easier for batters. Having said that, fast bowlers also get a fair share of assistance due to the pace in the pitch. Moreover, the dew factor is immense here, so chasing has always been a go-to option for teams. Key Stats: - CSK boast of an 18-8 lead over KKR in head-to-head encounters. At Wankhede, it's 1-0 in favor of CSK. Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, Devon Conway, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja(c), Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w), Dwayne Bravo, Chris Jordan, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Maheesh Theekshana, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner, Tushar Deshpande, Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, Subhranshu Senapati, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary, KM Asif, Simarjeet Singh, Bhagath Varma Kolkata Knight Riders: Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer(c), Sam Billings(w), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Chamika Karunaratne, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav, Rasikh Salam, Mohammad Nabi, Sheldon Jackson, Baba Indrajith, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Pratham Singh, Abhijeet Tomar, Aman Hakim Khan, Tim Southee, Ashok Sharma, Ramesh Kumar Probable Playing 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, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy CE Fantasy XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Andre Russell, MS Dhoni, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Varun Chakravarthy, Adam Milne Captain: Ravindra Jadeja Vice-captain: Andre Russell