CSK Will Take On KKR In Opening Match Of IPL 2022 On March 26
The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on March 26 in Mumbai when the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede stadium. IPL fans are expecting a very exciting season this year as two extra IPL franchises have been brought in, and all of the IPL franchises have a new look about them.
This is because IPL franchises decided to revamp their squads during the mega IPL auction and every IPL team has a new look, while many of them have new captains. CSK will stick to their guns as usual and go with in captain MS Dhoni who has led the men in yellow from the very first IPL. However, KKR has dropped Eoin Morgan, and they have got S Iyer to fill his shoes.
Betting Odds – CSK vs. KKR
CSK and KKR have thrived when they played on their respective home grounds and have been hard to beat. They will not have that advantage this season as the BCCI has decided to limit the number of venues to curtail travel and prevent the outbreak of COVID-19.
The first game between CSK and KKR will take place at a neutral venue, and hence it is no surprise to see both teams going in with similar odds. Bookmakers have given both CSK and KKR odds of 10/11 for the first game, but that could change as we get closer to the day of the game. If any side loses one or two of their core players due to injury or COVID-19, those odds will change quickly.
The weather looks good for March 26 at the Wankhede, and we expect a full game to take place.
CSK – Road To Victory
While CSK has made a number of changes to their squad, their management has once again stuck to their tried and tested formula to retain their key players. MSD and his go-to players in D Chahar, D Bravo, and R Jadeja will continue to shoulder a lot of responsibility in the side.
Last season CSK brought in M Ali, and R Uthappa, and both of them will also be part of the CSK squad this year. CSK will need this core group to bind the team once again together and deliver when it matters. However, they will also need some of the younger players that they have bought to put their hands up and become the next big star for CSK.
Subhranshu Senapati, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary are some of the younger players that will be waiting their time to get a game and make it count. We will need to wait and see if CSK decides to play one or two of their younger players in the first game against the KKR or whether CSK will stick to playing established players again during IPL 2022.
Our experts believe that the second key for a CSK victory against KKR is to be willing to blood young players right at the start of the tournament when there is not a lot of pressure on CSK.
The third and final key to victory for CSK against KKR is to make sure they get their choice of four overseas players right. We know MSD depends heavily on D Bravo at the death of the innings, and he will be an automatic selection. M Ali, who did well for CSK last season, will be the second overseas player. The third overseas player should be D Pretorius, and CSK should either choose D Conway as a batter for the fourth overseas player or a Kiwi pacer in A Milne.
KKR – Road To Victory
KKR would love to start their 2022 IPL campaign with a victory over the defending champs. KKR’s two previous captains, D Karthik and Eoin Morgan, have struggled with leading a talented bunch of KKR players, and internal unrest within the team has been one reason why KKR has struggled the last few seasons.
S Iyer will need to put his stamp on the team and bring them together. If he can do this, KKR will have a good season, but if he fails, they will once again stumble when it matters the most. KKR must be willing to experiment with their four overseas players and not get stuck on certain players. S Narine and A Russell are almost certain to play against CSK, while the remaining two overseas players could be M Nabi and Sam Billings.
Our Prediction: While the bookmakers have both teams with equal odds at the time of this writing, our experts believe that CSK has better odds of winning. They are playing under the old warhorse MS Dhoni and have a number of experienced players on their side that will help them get the better of KRR. We will be putting out money on CSK!
