Two teams from the top half of the table will face each other in what could prove to be a very important encounter in the on going Indian Premier League. The defending champions Chennai Super Kings will host Kolkata Knight Riders and both the teams need the two points from the match. Apart from Delhi Daredevils, who are sitting comfortable at the top of the table, the other teams are in the race for a place in the playoffs and a win can change the fortunes for both teams.

Super Kings have not been at their dominant best and would like to change it very quickly; they have won only four matches of the nine that they have played in and will dearly love a win. KKR on the other hand have five wins and have got the winning momentum with them. The match is expected to be an interesting one as both the teams has some star players in their stride, let’s have a look at some of them.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Gautam Gambhir: The captain of KKR has been leading from the front and has played pivotal role in most of the wins. Gambhir has taken the responsibility upon him and has turned the fortunes in his favour. He is a spirited captain and that reflects in his batting as well. With the form that he is in, he will be a threat to every opposition.

Jacques Kallis: He has been a prolific run scorer in all the IPLs, but in this season he has not been able to make much difference. Kallis takes pride in whatever he does and will know that he has let his team down. The legendary all-rounder from South Africa will be looking to play a solid innings in this match.

Rajat Bhatia: The all-rounder from Delhi has been bowling well in this season. He is very effective with his medium pace and looks to deceive batsmen with the change of pace. He is a wicket-to-wicket bowler and never allows ant batsmen to free his arm. He can be mighty effective on this Chennai pitch.

Sunil Narine: He has been the best bowler from KKR so far. No one has been able to pick him properly and as a result he is in the race for the purple cap. Narine likes bowling at the death overs and his variations make him very difficult to hit.

Chennai Super Kings:

Faf du Plessis: This young batsman was struggling to make a mark before he joined the IPL. He played some matches for South Africa but was not a certainty in the side. Everything has changed now as he has been the most successful batsman in the powerful Chennai batting line-up. He is a clean striker of the ball and is electric on the field.

Suresh Raina: He has been one of the biggest disappointments in this year’s IPL. Raina has always blossomed in this format and the same was expected from him, but he has not been able to play any substantial innings. Raina will be itching to have a good outing against KKR.

Ravindra Jadeja: He is a very important member in the Chennai side. He has been contributing with the bat but apart from one five-wicket haul he hasn’t been very effective with the ball. Jadeja is a canny bowler and will be looking to put a stranglehold on the KKR batting line-up.

Dwayne Bravo: Bravo can change the course of a game both with his bowling and with his batting. He is an intelligent cricketer and has the ability of producing the goods in tough situations. Chennai will need his all-round skills to come out on top in today’s match.

By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News