Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

CSK vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: IPL 2022 Match 1 | CSK vs KOL Dream11 Prediction | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Wankhede Pitch Report

It’s time to put the speculation to the side. The anticipation will grind to a halt as the action is upon us. Predictions will either come to fruition or be terribly wrong. In what looks a very competitive IPL 2022 with two new teams, the latter could prove true with all 10 teams capable of producing the goods on their day.

In a tournament sure to provide endless narratives and countless dramas, defending champions Chennai Super Kings will be looking to write another beautiful script of their own. Despite the Mega Auction seeing many changes across different franchises, there is a sense of familiarity at CSK, with experience still forming a core part of their strategy. A lot is expected of Devon Conway and Adam Mline, while Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja still gives CSK that great edge.

And, of course, there is the great MS Dhoni, who will still undoubtedly have an impact even though he is no longer captain. The 2022 campaign begins with a 2021 Final rematch against Kolkata Knight Riders, who themselves will be looking to go one better. Shreyas Iyer, who has been in outstanding form, will lead a team that has overseas talent that is often the envy of other franchises. However, how well they can gel as a unit will make for interesting viewing, with eyes on KKR’s domestic options with bat and ball.

Can Venkatesh Iyer start IPL 2022 with a bang as he did in phase two of IPL 2021? Or will CSK’s top order trump KKR’s? Can Adam Milne’s presence offset Deepak Chahar’s absence for CSK? And what kind of impact can KKR’s domestic seamers have on what looks to be a deep CSK batting lineup?

These questions and more will be answered on IPL 2022’s opening night at the Wankhede. The two new teams are cause for excitement in the IPL’s most financially viable season yet, but for now it’s about the two teams with six titles between them, and it should be a beauty.

Possible Playing 11

Moeen Ali, due to visa issues, will miss CSK’s first match. However, he has arrived in Mumbai and will be available for CSK’s second match. So, Devon Conway, Dwayne Bravo and Adam Milne and one of Chris Jordan, Maheesh Theekshana or Mitch Santner are likely to be the four overseas options.

Also, Deepak Chahar will miss the early part of the tournament due to injury.

MS Dhoni has the second-most runs in CSK-KKR matches (500, avg. 45.45), but his role has been limited with the bat over the past year or two. He will likely bat down the order.

Chennai Super Kings: 1. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2. Devon Conway, 3. Robin Uthappa, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. Shivam Dube, 6. Ravindra Jadeja (c), 7. MS Dhoni (wk), 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Chris Jordan/Mitch Santner/Maheesh Theekshana, 10. Adam Milne, 11. Tushar Deshpande

Alex Hales pulled out of the tournament citing bubble concerns. Aaron Finch has replaced him at KKR, but won’t be available until after Australia’s tour of Pakistan. So, KKR could look at opening with Ajinkya Rahane and including Sam Billings in the XI as wicket-keeper.

Also, like Finch, Pat Cummins is unavailable. So, KKR could look at playing Mohammad Nabi or Tim Southee.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Venkatesh Iyer, 2. Ajinkya Rahane, 3. Shreyas Iyer (c), 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Andre Russell, 6. Sam Billings (wk), 7. Sunil Narine, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Shivam Mavi, 10. Varun Chakaravarthy, 11. Umesh Yadav

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Chennai Super Kings:

• Ruturaj Gaikwad enters this season as the Orange Cap holder. His 635 runs last season included scores of 64 (42), 40 (28) and 32 (27) against KKR. Overall, he has struck 208 runs against them in four matches at an average of 52.00 and strike rate of 138.67.
• Gaikwad averages 50 and strikes at 114 in the powerplay in IPL. Between overs 12 and 16, he unleashes, striking at 179 with an average of 70 in this period. So, KKR need his wicket early.
• What impact will Devon Conway have on IPL debut? He has made a brilliant start to his T20I career (avg. 50.17 in 17 innings) and has a great record in all T20s both batting first (57 inns, 2,065 runs, avg. 45.89, SR 130.20) and second (55 inns, 1,700 runs, avg. 41.46, SR 125.74).
• Robin Uthappa had a new lease of life at the backend of IPL 2021, including an important 15-ball 31 in the Final against KKR.
• Ravindra Jadeja has arguably been the best finisher with the bat over the past two IPL seasons. Since the start of 2020, Jadeja has smashed 459 runs at an average of 57.38 and strike rate of 157.73.
• Against KKR, Jadeja has struck 248 runs in 15 innings at an average of 49.60 and strike rate of 156.96. He also has 18 wickets in as many innings against them.
• Dwayne Bravo will be key at the death for CSK. He doesn’t have the best of records against KKR (12 wickets, avg. 31.75, econ. 9.69), with Andre Russell smashing 78 off 30 balls off Bravo in the IPL without a single dismlssal. Can he change that record in this match?

Kolkata Knight Riders:

• Venkatesh Iyer was a breath of fresh air for KKR in 2021. The all-rounder struck 370 runs in 10 matches at an average of 41.11 and strike rate of 128.47, including 50 (32) vs CSK in the Final. It will also be interesting to see if KKR use Iyer with the ball.
• Shreyas Iyer was purchased for a hefty fee and will now lead the franchise. How will he handle the pressure? He has been in outstanding touch in 2022, with scores of 57*, 73* and 74* in the recent T20I series vs Sri Lanka.
• Shreyas will be looking to improve on his numbers vs CSK, which read: 11 inns, 236 runs, avg. 23.60, SR 106.79.
• Andre Russell, as mentioned, has a brilliant record against Dwayne Bravo. He also has magnificent numbers vs CSK overall, with 344 runs in 11 innings at an average of 49.14 and incredible strike rate of 178.14. He smashed a 22-ball 54 against CSK on this ground last season.
• Russell also has eight wickets against CSK at an average of 29.13 and economy rate of 8.96. He could be used at the death once again with his round-the-wicket angle.
• Sunil Narine has the most wickets in CSK-KKR matches with 21 scalps in 17 innings at an average of 20.19 and superb economy rate of 6.30. He took 1/34, 3/41 and 2/26 against CSK in a superb 2021 campaign where he took 16 wickets overall at an economy rate of just 6.44.
• KKR must look to use Umesh Yadav as a powerplay specialist. He has a terrific record in this period in the IPL: 1074 balls bowled, 45 wickets taken, avg. 30.73, econ. 7.72. As a comparison, Deepak Chahar: 1021 balls bowled, 43 wickets taken, avg. 30.69, econ. 7.75.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 28, CSK 18, KKR 9, N/R 1.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad enjoys both batting first and second in IPL. He averages 40.2 batting first (362 runs, SR 134.6) and 53 batting second (477 runs, SR 130.3).
• Ravindra Jadeja at Wankhede Stadium: 265 runs, avg. 22.08, SR 152.30 & 16 wickets, avg. 32.19, SR 24.44.
• Ambati Rayudu for CSK vs KKR: 7 inns, 164 runs, avg. 23.43, SR 116.31. He also has a similar batting record at the Wankhede (985 runs, avg. 20.52, SR 127.59).
• Ajinkya Rahane averages 22.87 in 18 matches vs CSK (343 runs).
• Andre Russell averages 36 and strikes at 217 in overs 17-20 in the IPL.

Wankhede Stadium Mumbai Pitch Report and Weather

Wankhede Stadium is typically a belter for batting. Both sides know this, as they contested a 200+ vs 200+ match last season, where CSK scored 220/3 followed by KKR’s 202 all-out.

Teams batting second won six of 10 matches at Mumbai in the first leg of IPL 2021, with the average first innings score a healthy 176.6.

A warm and clear evening is forecast in Mumbai, with a top of 32 degrees during the day. Dew could be a factor.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Sam Billings
• Batsmen: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer
• All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer
• Bowlers: Adam Milne

Match Prediction

The chasing team could have an edge early in the season, especially with dew around. The team batting first needs a score of at least 170-180+ to feel in the game.