IPL 2023: 3 surprise picks for Dream11 fantasy team for CSK vs KKR match
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) square off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 61st game of IPL 2023 on Sunday (May 14) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
A win will make CSK the first team to go through to the playoffs. They have been successful both home and away, and at the Cheapuk, they've lost only two of six games.
KKR, meanwhile, suffered a humiliating defeat, courtesy of a blitzkrieg from Yashasvi Jaiswal. Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, so they will want to stay alive in the tournament by beating CSK away.
We've seen some high-scoring and some low-scoring games in Chennai, so it's anyone's guess what we'll get this time around. On that note, here's a look at three differential picks for CSK-KKR Dream11 contests.
#3 Harshit Rana (KKR)
Harshit Rana's new-ball bowling has been a plus for KKR recently in a season where they have struggled to pick up wickets in the powerplay. The seamer has troubled batters with his pace and skiddy bounce.
In a game where run-scoring will be tough, both teams will look to go hard in the powerplay, and KKR will need to stop the CSK openers from doing the same. Given the amount of bowling options they have, banking on Nitish Rana to trust Harshit with four overs is a risk, but if he does get 3-4 overs, he could pick up 2-3 wickets, as he's a quality pick.
#2 Rinku Singh (KKR)
Rinku Singh is undoubtedly one of the players of the season, but because of his lower batting position and uncapped nature, he isn't favored much as a Dream11 pick. On a sluggish wicket, Singh's six-hitting prowess will be crucial if KKR want to get a good score if they bat first or chase a total down.
He scored a half-century in the reverse fixture and had no problems taking down the CSK bowlers, albeit on a much better batting track. Considering how much contributions uncapped players have made in recent games, it could be a wise move to go with a popular, yet lowly owned player like Rinku Singh.
#1 Deepak Chahar (CSK)
There has been a lot of criticism over CSK's investment in Deepak Chahar, but the new-ball expert has shown why he's so highly rated by making the new ball talk against MI and DC.
He has picked up two wickets each in his last two games, and against a side known for losing wickets in a clump in the powerplay, Chahar could be a menace against KKR.
With Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande picking up wickets, Chahar's returns have gone under the radar. Nevertheless, he could be the best Dream11 differential to have for this match.