Indian T20 League 2022: Chennai vs Kolkata– Match 1 : Preview, Playing XIs, Pitch Report & Updates
CSK-KKR (image source: BCCI)
The Indian T20 League 2022 is all set to begin tomorrow the 26th of March, 2022. The opening clash will be a repeat of the finals of last year. Defending champions Chennai will take on last year’s runners Kolkata at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Both the teams look balanced on the paper. But how they execute their plans and get running in the tournament, will be something the fans will be eagerly waiting to witness. Let’s look at all the important details about the match before the all-important match.
Team News
Chennai: Chennai has been able to go with consistency in the case of squad selection. Players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, KM Asif had been a part of the team last season also. But the biggest news from the team came yesterday when they announced on their official website that MS Dhoni will not be leading the team this year. The leadership responsibilities have been handed over to Ravindra Jadeja.
Unavailable Players: Deepak Chahar will be missing out on the first half of the tournament as he is recovering from a quadriceps injury at NCA. Another major missing for the team will be Moeen Ali. He got his visa clearance too late to feature in the first match for the team. He will available for selection from the second match.
Probable XI: Devon Conway (o), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja (C), Dwayne Bravo (o), Adam Milne (o), Maheesh Theeksana (o), Tushar Deshpande.
Players to watch out for:
Ruturaj Gaikwad: The orange cap winner of last season will be an important part of the Chennai’s batting effort this year. Chennai will hope that Ruturaj solidifies the base on which the big hitters can capitalize later on.
Ravindra Jadeja: Ravindra Jadeja will be filling the shoes of MS Dhoni this year as captain. Arguably the most dynamic player in the world at present, Jadeja will surely be a big factor in Chennai’s performances.
Devon Conway: Conway will be replacing Faf Du Plessis as the opener of Chennai. With an average of 50 plus in his T20 career Conway might be the ex factor for Chennai. The fact that this is his first season in the tournament can be a big positive for Chennai.
Kolkata: Kolkata has opted to go with a new-look team this season. Just like their oppositions for the first match, Kolkata will also be led by a new leader in Shreyas Iyer. The Kolkata skipper is coming into the tournament in brilliant form from the Sri Lanka series. Supporters will look up at their captain to lead the team from the front.
Unavailable players: Aussie stars of the team Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch will miss out on the first five matches for the team owing to national duty.
Probable XI: Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nitish Rana, Sam Billings (o) (wk), Andre Russell (o), Sunil Narine (o), Tim Southee (o), Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarty.
Players to watch out for:
Shreyas Iyer: The new skipper of the Kolkata team is coming into the tournament being unbeaten in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He scored 204 runs in the series at a strike rate of 150 plus. He is the man in form for Kolkata.
Venkatesh Iyer: Venkatesh Iyer was the main reason for Kolkata’s turn around in the second phase of the last season. This year also Kolkata will hope he gives the team some solid starts.
Andre Russell: Andre Russell loves the Chennai bowling attack. Against Chennai he scores at a strike rate of 169.49, so he will be a key factor for the men in purple.
Pitch Report: The Wankhede stadium has historically provided a pitch favorable for batting. The stadium has seen many matches where 200 plus scores have been achieved by the team. The average first innings total at Wankhede is 194 while in the second innings it goes down to 182.
Indian T20 League records in Wankhede Stadium
Highest total: 235/1 by Bangalore vs Mumbai
Lowest total: 67 all out by Kolkata vs Mumbai
Most IPL runs: Rohit Sharma – 1733 runs
Most IPL wickets: Lasith Malinga – 68 wickets
Highest individual score: AB de Villiers – 133
Best Bowling: Harbhajan Singh – 5 wickets for 18 runs
Match Details
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Match Time: 7:30 PM
Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Date: 26th March 2022
Weather Forecast: The weather at the Wankhede Stadium is forecasted to be dry. There is no chance of rain as reported by the weather department. The average temperature is going to be around 26 degrees Celsius. The humidity will be around 72% during match time.
