IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Top 5 Players to Watch Out For

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be facing the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 21 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on October 7. The match will be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi and will start at 7:30 pm IST.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with clash with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 21 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in Abu Dhabi on the 7th of October.

CSK will be upbeat after their thumping record-breaking 10-wicket win against Kings XI Punjab in Dubai. KKR would want to get back to winning ways after the defeat against Delhi Capitals in Sharjah.

 We look at 5 players who could have the maximum impact in the match.

1. SHANE WATSON (CHENNAI SUPER KINGS)

Shane Watson is one of the premier all-rounders in IPL history with 3710 runs in 135 innings at a strike rate of 139.31. He has recorded 4 hundreds and 20 fifties. He gave a Player of the Match performance (83 off 53 deliveries) against KXIP in Dubai. He has also accounted for 92 wickets in the IPL. He had an outstanding 2018 with the bat aggregating 555 runs at a strike rate of 154.59 including a match-winning unbeaten 117 off just 57 deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final in Mumbai.

2. SAM CURRAN (CHENNAI SUPER KINGS)

Sam Curran is a utility player who always gives more than 100% in every match he plays. He has already played two mini cameos from different batting positions in this year’s IPL.

3. FAF DU PLESSIS (CHENNAI SUPER KINGS)

Faf du Plessis has been the second-highest scorer of IPL 2020 with 282 runs in 5 matches including three fifties. He has scored 54.54% of the total runs scored by other CSK batsmen in the competition. Along with the runs, the rate at which he has scored them – he has an overall strike rate of 150 in the tournament – is commendable. It is significantly higher than the average strike rate of other CSK players this season – 130.55.

4. SUNIL NARINE (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Sunil Narine is the leading wicket-taker for KKR in the IPL with 124 wickets in 113 innings. He is the third most restrictive spinner in the history of the IPL with an economy rate of just 6.73! He has picked 6 four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul in his IPL career. Narine has been completely out of form in IPL 2020, both with the bat and ball. But he would know that he is just one match away from finding that magic touch.

Narine picked 24 and 21 wickets and was the highest wicket-taker for KKR in their victorious campaigns, both in 2012 and 2014. He is also a ferocious batsman at the top of the order with a strike rate of 163.19– the second-highest for KKR after Andre Russell.

5. ANDRE RUSSELL (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Andre Russell has also looked out of sorts in IPL 2020. He has not yet produced any significant performance with the bat or ball. Russell is the most destructive batsman in the history of the IPL. He has scored 1448 runs in 55 innings in the IPL at a rate of 184.69 – the highest in the tournament’s history!

He has the record of the maximum number (15) of 200-plus strike rate innings (min. runs 30) for KKR.​