IPL 2024 CSK vs KKR Preview - Adapting to conditions the key to success

Key match stats

Pitch Stats – MA Chidambaram Stadium IPL Records

Pitch stats from the 10 most recent IPL matches played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium

Team form CSK vs KKR
CSK: WWLL
KKR: WWW

Recent meetings: KKR won by 6 wickets, CSK won by 49 runs

Weather

General Forecast: Dry and Clear
Chance of dew: Moderate

Preview CSK vs KKR

Assessing and adapting to conditions has been the hallmark of CSK's success over the years but in their last couple of matches they've been out thought as much as outplayed.

It was another poor start from the opening pair of Gaiwkad and Ravindra that put their middle order under too much pressure and ultimately lead to CSK posting a total that was 15 to 20 runs short. With ball in hand, they then failed to learn from the way that SRH's bowlers utilised the slowness of the surface and conceded 78 from their opening 6 overs, all but ending the game as a contest.

What's perhaps most surprising is that the conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi on Friday mirrored an a-typical pitch at the MA Chidambaram which tend to get slower as the innings progresses. As the stats above show, scoring in the powerplay in Chepauk has historically been easier than at the death. Of all IPL venues in regular use, the difference between powerplay and death overs scoring, in favour of the powerplay, is most pronounced at the MA Chidambaram.

Of course, the 2 pitches that we've seen in Chennai during IPL 2024 haven't really lived up to that reputation and have instead had an extra bit of pace and bounce in them. It might well be that we see pitches across the league become a little slower and lower over the course of the season simply due to the amount of cricket played on them. Alternatively, CSK may look to produce a wicket that is harder to score on because getting into a slogging match against this KKR side doesn't look like a recipe for success.

The Knight Riders swept aside the same DC team that earlier in the week had defeated CSK and come into this fixture chasing a 4th straight win which would send them back to the top of the league.

Unlike CSK, getting off to strong starts with the bat hasn't been an issue for KKR this season. They have the highest scoring rate in the powerplay so far and only SRH have lost fewer wickets during that same period.

Where they were struggling before the DC match was bowling while the field restrictions were in place. They'd taken just 2 wickets in the powerplay in their first 2 games before claiming 4 against the Capitals. Of course, when you've got a total of 272 to defend then it does become a bit easier as a bowling unit and KKR still have the 2nd worst economy rate during the first 6 overs.

It feels then that the first 6 overs of both innings will have a major bearing on the outcome of this match as CSK look to rediscover their powerplay form with both bat and ball while KKR seek to retain their own dominance.

The other impressive element of KKR's win against the Capitals was the impact of the players that they brought into the side. Angkrish Raghuvanshi's fluent half-century and Vaibhav Arora's 3 for 27 were major contributions to the victory.

Over the last couple of seasons, I've often written that the KKR sides body language and demeanour both on and off the pitch hasn't been good. This year, they appear full of confidence and everything they touch is turning to gold. Given how competitive the IPL is, they'll be keen to ride this wave for as long as possible.

CSK vs KKR head to head

KKR bowling vs CSK batting

Mitch Starc will certainly feel relieved to have gotten his first wicket of the tournament last time out. Experienced as he may be, no player can say they don't feel the weight of expectation when carrying such a hefty price tag.

Gaiwkad T20 record vs left-arm pace

Starc has never bowled against Gaikwad before but I'm sure he'll be well aware of the CSK captain's poor record against left-arm swing bowlers. To put it into context, CSK's opener averages just shy of 50 vs right-arm pace and has a better strike rate against all other forms of bowling than against left-armer pace. Gaikwad is particularly vulnerable to the ball going across him early in his innings while Starc of course has the option of bluffing the batsmen with a booming inswinger.

Whether KKR opt to play 3 spinners (as they did in the opening 2 games of IPL 2024) or stick with 3 seamers will probably depend on the pitch conditions at the MA Chidambaram. However, their first choice slow bowlers in Narine and Varun both enjoy strong records at this ground.

Narine and Varun combined T20 record at the MA Chidambaram

CSK certainly have the match-ups in their middle order to combat KKR's spinners if they get their batting line-up correct. For example, it was a strange decision to send in Jadeja at the fall of Dube's wicket in the 14th over against SRH when they had Moeen Ali in the side. Jadeja's strike rate in the middle overs (7 -15) since the start of the 2022 season is fractionally over a run a ball and the CSK innings lost all momentum from that point onwards.

CSK bowling vs KKR batting

The big question for any side facing KKR at the moment is how do you limit the damage that Narine is doing at the top of the order? First and foremost is that when he offers you a chance (and he certainly will do) you've got to take it!

Narine T20 head to head in the powerplay vs Chahar

I think CSK should stick to their plans with the new ball and look to extract what little movement there might be. Chahar has taken some tap from Narine in the past but has also dismissed him cheaply in the powerplay.

If that doesn't work out then perhaps they need to consider bringing in a specialist death bowler like Pathirana (assuming he's fit for this game) to look to limit KKR's boundary striking in that phase of the game. That is easier said than done with the field restrictions but Narine is very unlikely to just start tapping you into gaps and running 1s and 2s so there is always the opportunity to apply pressure with a few dot balls.

Team	Boundary (4 or 6) % in the powerplay	Dot ball % in the powerplay
CSK	22.9%	45.8%
DC	25.7%	50.7%
GT	20.1%	43.8%
KKR	29.6%	43.5%
LSG	20.4%	49.1%
MI	25.9%	52.8%
PBKS	25.7%	41.7%
RR	20.1%	49.3%
RCB	22.2%	44.4%
SRH	31.9%	38.2%

IPL 2024 powerplay stats accurate for matches played up to and including 6 April

Nitesh Rana has missed the last couple of matches with a finger injury he sustained in KKR's opening game. He has a very good record at the MA Chidambaram and some good head to head stats against the CSK bowlers, in particular Jadeja.

Nitesh Rana T20 record at the MA Chidambaram

If he does come back in KKR will have decide on whether to leave out Ramandeep Singh or Angkrish Raghuvanshi. To date, KKR have got all of their big selection calls correct, can they continue that trend and their winning start in this match?

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All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible below
IPL player head to head records
IPL player records by stadium
IPL stadium records.
Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and highlights within GIFs which are not intended to infringe copyright- read full disclaimer. Background images are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free.