IPL 2021 Final: CSK vs KKR Preview – Chennai, Kolkata collide for ultimate glory
Kolkata Knight Riders turned back the clock as they entered the final by defeating Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2. This has now made history repeat itself by making the two finalists from the 2012 Indian Premier League meet each other again nine years apart. At that time, it was Gautam Gambhir’s Kolkata who had won that match and some of the players from that game will be featuring in this contest as well.
However, a lot has changed since then, especially the fact that this tournament is being played on foreign soil. Both the teams have beaten Delhi Capitals in their respective Qualifiers to make it to the big final. The two teams have also played out two very close encounters, both of which were won by CSK. Over the years, one can say that CSK have had a wood over KKR, but the latter have also responded well with strong performances every now and then.
Match Info:
IPL 2021 Final – Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Team News:
Chennai Super Kings: CSK have been consistent in terms of team selection so far in this tournament. They stuck with Suresh Raina for a while, before dropping him in favour of Robbie Uthappa. The bait with Uthappa worked out as he smashed a match-winning fifty in Qualifier 1. No changes will be made there, nor will there be any change when it comes to the rest of the side. Faf du Plessis, Josh Hazlewood, Dwayne Bravo and Moeen Ali have been the four overseas picks since Sam Curran’s injury and there won’t be any changes for this summit clash. The Indian contingent is expected to be the same as well with the unit looking quite strong.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Well, despite winning four matches in a row, there are quite visible issues and cracks in the KKR team. The form of their captain Eoin Morgan has become a big concern for the team, especially when he is potentially halting a place for Andre Russell in the XI. Shakib Al Hasan, who became a replacement for Russell, has done exceedingly well with the ball and has the obvious ability with the bat. Now, if Russell is fit, there will be a temptation to bring him in a big game like this, but whether he comes in for Morgan or Shakib is something that needs to be seen. An ideal case scenario would be if Morgan dropped himself, something which other foreign captains have done before in the IPL. The rest of the XI will remain unchanged.
Probable XI:
