3 player battles to watch out for in CSK vs KKR, Match 22 of IPL 2024 ft. Shivam Dube vs Varun Chakravarthy
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will return to the comforts of home following a couple of tough away outings, but they have the rampant and unbeaten Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) waiting for them.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side looks a completely different side compared to the ones from the last couple of editions. With the senior players stepping up and a more-than-formidable batting unit, KKR have dominated opponents left and right so far.
CSK, on the other hand, had a comfortable start to the season, winning their first set of matches under Ruturaj Gaikwad's leadership. However, form, injury, and unavailability issues have crept in already at the early stage of the season resulting in what CSK will hope is just a slight wobble.
KKR have some fond memories at the Chepauk, winning the famous 2012 final against MS Dhoni and co, and also emerging as unexpected winners last time around when these two sides faced each other.
Spinners have surprisingly not had a huge say in the proceedings at the Chepauk this season so far. Now whether that is just an anomaly or a pattern that will follow the entire season, it is yet to be seen, but that does make the matchups a little more interesting.
On that note, let us take a look at three player battles to watch out for in CSK vs KKR, Match 22 of IPL 2024.
#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Mitchell Starc
The poor form of these players makes it an interesting viewing. Ruturaj Gaikwad has struggled to get started on a positive note and has perished while switching gears. Mitchell Starc's big-money move to the two-time winners has not worked out as hoped after he conceded 100 runs off his first two matches without taking a wicket.
Gaikwad will look to be a bit more aggressive start after his efforts to build and accelerate have not worked out so far. As far as Starc is concerned, he has hardly got any sort of movement with the new ball, which makes it difficult for him to deliver the early breakthrough.
It is also to be noted that Gaikwad has also been dismissed twice by left-arm pacers in IPL 2024 already. Yash Dayal and Spencer Johnson have used the angle to their benefit as the opening batter has edged it behind the wickets on both occasions.
The fact that these two players have not crossed paths in T20 cricket gives it a touch of intrigue. Gaikwad will look to use Starc's favor in his favor, especially if there is no movement.
#2 Shivam Dube vs Varun Chakravarthy
Shivam Dube has arguably carried CSK's batting in the early stages of the season. The left-handed batter is in the form of his life, scoring at will against spinners and pacers alike, but especially the latter.
With spin bowling being one of KKR's biggest strengths, their matchup against Shivam Dube in the middle overs will play a huge role in the outcome of the game. So far, the spin attacks of RCB, GT, DC, and SRH have failed to contain the left-handed batter.
Varun Chakravarthy with his variations and his defensive bowling ability will have the task of containing and dismissing Dube. In terms of their matchups in the past across five meetings, Dube has scored 41 runs off 24 deliveries at a strike rate of 170.83 and has been dismissed once.
Narine although has had the upper hand against Dube in the past, conceding only 23 runs off 22 deliveries across four innings, but without any dismissals.
#3 Sunil Narine vs Deepak Chahar
The re-emergence of Sunil Narine as an opening batter has a lot to do with KKR's success so far. The left-handed batter has been taking on the bowling attack, laying a lavish platform for the rest of the batting unit to continue.
If Narine gets going in the powerplay, CSK will need to put in a special effort to pull things back in the middle overs. The defending champions will prefer to see the back of him as soon as possible, and one of their bets against him is their new ball attack, particularly Deepak Chahar.
The right-arm pacer has had success against Narine in the past, dismissing him in their 2021 IPL meeting as well as a T20I in 2019. Despite the two dismissals across four innings, Narine holds a strike rate of 210 against Chahar.
Narine averages only 9.60 against CSK, and he will be on the lookout to improve on that given his current purple patch.
Apart from the aforementioned matchups, the contest between Andre Russell and Matheesha Pathirana is bound to be an exciting one in the death overs. However, there is still no update as to whether the Sri Lankan pacer has recovered from his niggle to play the upcoming encounter.