IPL 2022: Match 1, CSK vs KKR Match Prediction – Who will win today’s IPL match between CSK vs KKR?

Preview

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament opener this year and this will be a repeat of the last year’s final. CSK ended up on the winning side in the previous meeting and KKR will be seeking revenge for losing out in the final last year. Both teams have been slightly affected by their overseas players arriving late and CSK will not have their services of Moeen Ali for the first game. However, the big news is the legendary MS Dhoni stepping down captaincy and has handed over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja for the season.

On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders do have some interesting options on the bench but have been slightly affected with Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch arriving late as well. The two-time winners will look up to their new skipper Shreyas Iyer to do the magic, while a lot of familiar faces have come back into the squad. It is expected to be a heavy weight clash between the two teams who have some match-winners in their squad.

Match Details

Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Match 1, IPL 2022

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Date & Time: 26th March, 7:30 PM

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network for Television and Disney + Hotstar app for live streaming.

Pitch Report

The Wankhede Pitch will be a beauty for the seamers with a tinge of grass on the wicket, while the batters will also enjoy the fast-paced track. A run feast could be expected with some extraordinary power hitters on both sides and powerplay could turn out to be the difference in the end. The captain that wins the toss is likely to bowl first on this wicket.

Probable Playing XIs for Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Rajvardhan Hangarker, Chris Jordan, Maheesh Theekshana

Kolkata Knight Riders

Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Sam Billings (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

Probable Top Performers

Probable best batter of the Match: Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer has been in the form of his life at the moment and he will return to his favourite number three position, where he has been the most effective. The right-hander can switch gears by playing the anchor role at times and can hit some lusty blows, if needed, as well. The KKR skipper is likely to make the most out of this edition going by the form he has been in and he can be a match-winner for the franchise.

Probable best bowler of the Match: Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine bowled splendidly in the recently concluded CPL as well as in the BPL and excelled with both bat and ball. The mystery spinner has been associated with the franchise for a long time now and he can definitely be the X factor with the ball. The 33-year-old can turn around games on his own and he will be a handy batter down the order. Narine was one of the reasons behind KKR’s comeback in the previous edition of the IPL.

Today’s match prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders to win the match

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.