IPL 2023: Top 3 player battles to watch out for in upcoming clash between KKR and CSK

Chennai Super Kings are all set to take Kolkata Knight Riders in the match number 33 of IPL 2023 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. CSK are currently in great form as they are coming after back-to-back wins against Royals Challengers and Sunrisers Hyderabad, while KKR lost their winning momentum as they lost suffered consecutive losses against SRH, Mumbai Indians, and Delhi Capitals.

Both teams will be looking to go ahead in the tournament with a win. As KKR and CSK will be taking on each for the upcoming clash of IPL 2023. There will be some interesting battles between players of both teams that can add more twist to their rivalry. In this article, we will have a look at the top 3 players’ battles to watch for the upcoming match.

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Varun Chakravarthy

CSK opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad had a great outing in the ongoing season so far. The 26-year-old started off the season with a bang with back-to-back half-centuries against Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants respectively. He largely looked in good touch and his prowess against spin in particular will be crucial for the four-time champions to succeed in the tournament.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, Varun Chakravarthy is the leading wicket taker for KKR this season so far. The 31-year-old has scalped 9 wickets from six matches played till now with an economy of 7.52. It looks like, Chakravarthy had an upper hand on Gaikwad as he dismissed the CSK batter once by conceding just 29 runs in 33 deliveries against him. It would be interesting to see that how both the players take on each other in the upcoming match.

2. Andre Russell vs Maheesh Theekshana

Andre Russell has been one of the crucial players for KKR over the years. However, he didn’t had a great start this season but showed form in the last game against DC by scoring unbeaten 38 runs off 31 balls due to which KKR could reach to a respectable total. He will be looking to go big against CSK which happened to be his favourite opponent.

The Caribbean batter might recieve tough competition from CSK’s spinner Maheesh Theekshana. The duo hasn’t faced each other yet but it is also noted that spin is often used as a means of keeping Russell quite early on in his innings. MS Dhoni could use Theekshana as a trump card to take on Russell and it will be an interesting battle to watch out for.

3. Moeen Ali vs Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine is another player who played a major role in KKR, over the years. His class is always bound to keep the batters wary. He can also bring the mystery element in his spin bowling that clouds stifle the opposition batters in various phases of the contest. While Moeen Ali, usually comes as a lower-order batter for CSK, the franchise could also send him up the order against KKR to take on Narine.

The left-handed batter has scored 39 runs off 24 in all T20s against the KKR spinner, while Narine has been able to dismiss him twice. It will be interesting to see how both teams will use their players to put an impact and go ahead in the match.