For IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are two teams that will attempt to rebound and reclaim their pride. The multiple champions had a rough season last year, finishing ninth and seventh in the points table, respectively.
With the Super Kings winning the IPL four times and the Knight Riders winning it twice, both teams know what it’s like to win titles. However, things have changed, and they have a lot to catch up on after some questionable decisions were made at the mega auction last year.
The defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) will take on the MS Dhoni-led CSK in Ahmedabad on Friday, March 31. As Shreyas Iyer recovers from a back injury, KKR will be led by Nitish Rana in the interim. They will begin their season against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali the following afternoon.
We examine three similarities between the CSK and KKR squads ahead of the new season.
1 Both CSK and KKR lack sufficient pace bowling-quality hitters
A look at their batting lineups reveals that they would be better off facing spin than pace. They are well-known for playing spin, whether Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ambati Rayudu, and Moeen Ali are at CSK or Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Sunil Narine are at KKR.
However, unless they are set, the majority of them also have well-documented issues with quality pace bowling. Prior to IPL 2023, the two teams acquired Ben Stokes and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to address this issue.
However, aside from movement with the new ball, it would seem that hard lengths at a rapid pace will undoubtedly present some significant difficulties.
It is not yet clear the way that the two groups will track down ways of adapting to this once they kick things off for the new season.
2 There is a mysterious spinner on both teams
Sunil Narine is unquestionably one of the greatest players ever to play T20 cricket and the Indian Premier League. He is set to wear the KKR colors once more before his 12th season in the league, and he is going to be stronger than ever.
Having said that, CSK has Maheesh Theekshana of Sri Lanka on hand to summon a mysterious spinner.
Even though Theekshana has national obligations that will keep him out of the first three games of the season, he should be able to play, especially in games at the spin-friendly MA Chidambaram Stadium.
It goes without saying that the bowlers mentioned above will have a significant impact on how the two teams fare in the IPL 2023.
3 There is no genuine death bowler on either team
The bowling combinations of KKR and CSK reveal a glaring void: neither team has a death bowler. The two teams were hampered by this issue the previous year, and once more, it does not appear that much has been done to address it.
For IPL 2023, the Knight Riders have selected Shardul Thakur and Lockie Ferguson, but both have a reputation for being unpredictable at death. Sisanda Magala, a death-overs specialist from South Africa, has been signed by the Super Kings, but he hasn’t played much on Indian surfaces thus far.
Intriguingly, their mystery spinners, Narine and Theekshana, may also end up performing the majority of the work in the death overs in IPL 2023.