There are questions over CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s slow strike rate, while Ayush Mhatre is in better form. Rahane and Raghuvanshi are important for KKR. The team batting first on the Chepauk pitch is getting the edge.
KKR vs CSK Match Preview: In the 22nd match of IPL 2026, there will be a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings today on 14th April. This exciting match to be held at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai will start at 7.30 pm. Both the teams have reached the venue before the match. Let us tell you that this is the first match of this season between the two teams. Both the teams will play their 5th match today. Till now CSK has won only 1 match, whereas KKR has not even opened its account of victory.
CSK vs KKR: Chepauk pitch report
Pitch No. 6 of MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium has been very balanced in recent times. Especially in night matches, the team batting first has the advantage here. Of the last four IPL night matches played on this pitch, three have been won by the team batting first. Despite this, teams winning the toss have often decided to bowl first.
Impact of weather: Test of players’ fitness
It is extremely hot in South India these days. In such circumstances, the fitness and stamina of the players will be severely tested. Long matches and hot weather can also affect performance. There is no chance of rain in Chennai. However, the sky will remain partly cloudy. The temperature will be around 28 to 33 degrees.
KKR vs CSK: Head-to-head
A total of 33 IPL matches have been played between the two teams so far. Of these, CSK has won 21, while KKR has won 12. There have been 12 matches between the two teams at Chepauk Stadium, out of which Chennai has won 8 while KKR has won 4.
Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Ayush Mhatre
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain of the CSK team and has been selected as the opener. However, Ayush Mhatre’s stellar performance is already being talked about. It is unlikely that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will show their captain weak, but the team would definitely like Gaikwad to score more runs above his current ‘run-a-ball’ strike rate. Since the start of the last IPL, Ayush Mhatre has scored runs in the powerplay at a strike rate of around 180. At the same time, Gaikwad’s strike rate has been only 129. This means that on an average, Gaikwad has been able to hit only one boundary in every five balls, which is considered slow in terms of T20.
Questions on Ajinkya Rahane’s performance and strike rate for KKR
Ajinkya Rahane is the second highest run scorer for KKR this season. He has scored runs at a strike rate of 155, which is quite good compared to the rest of the batsmen of the team. Despite this, he is not included in the list of 13 fastest openers of this season.
KKR’s Angkrish Raghuvanshi: Slow start, fast finish
Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been one of the most influential batsmen for KKR in this IPL. However, his start is a bit slow. He scores runs at a strike rate of around 119 in his first 10 balls, but after that he picks up the pace to around two runs per ball in the next 10 balls.
Kolkata Knight Riders Possible Playing-11
Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi.
Chennai Super Kings Possible Playing-11
Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dubey, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Khalil Ahmed, Gurjapneet Singh.