IPL 2024 – Match 22, CSK vs KKR: Nitish Rana to Replace Phil Salt? Kolkata Knight Riders Probable Playing 11 vs Chennai Super Kings

The 21st game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will see two of the most successful franchises in Chennai Super Kings hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders at their home ground MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 8, Monday.

Kolkata Knight Riders is probably the best-suited side to take on Chennai Super Kings at their home ground. They have an able spin trio to use the conditions at Chepauk and they also have some wonderful spin hitters in their Lineup.

Phil Salt will take up the wicket-keeping duties and his role would be to take on the pacers early on in the innings which will ensure he makes the most of his ability before spinners come in because he is not one of the most fluent batters of spin so him maximising new ball against pacers will ensure he takes the most of the pacers.

Kolkata has two of the most monster spin hitters in Sunil Narine who come in to bat with the sole intention of disrupting the plans of the opposition Skipper and his off-spin makes him an integral part of the side.

Following him is Venkatesh Iyer who uses his long reach to get to the pitch of the ball to smash the bowlers from their length, he also uses the depth of the crease to smash them off the backfoot which makes it difficult to bowl at.

Shreyas Iyer and Angkrish Raghuvanshi will make up the middle order for Kolkata, Iyer has not been his usual self but at Chepauk Kolkata would expect him to unlock his beast more where he tonks the tweakers like he playing a video game.

Raghuvanshi in his debut innings did not even show any signs of nervousness which suggests the confidence of this guy he should be comfortable against Chennai, because of Chennai’s one-dimensional bowling attack.

Rinku Singh and Andre Russell are arguably the best finishers in the league, both are perfectly capable of providing the finishing touches to the innings.

Rinku’s backfoot range against pacers also makes Kolkata’s lineup multidimensional and in case of a collapse, he is perfectly capable of restructuring the innings.

With Russell and Rinku, Kolkata also have the services of Ramandeep Singh who looks like a useful hitter down the order and his part-time medium pace makes him an asset to have.

Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana will take up the new ball duties with Varun Chakravarthy being the second spinner of the side behind Sunil Narine. 

Rana will also bowl at the back end of the innings, just like he did it magnificently at the Chinnaswamy.

If it turns, Suyash Sharma can be the Impact player and if it is on the flatter side Vaibhav Arora will be the Impact Player.

Here’s how the XI of Kolkata Knight Riders  is looking ahead of their match against Chennai Super Kings :

Probable Playing 11 of KKR vs CSK

Phil Salt (WK), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (C), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh,  Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy

Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora/ Suyash Sharma