Which team will find their best touch? | IPL 2020 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings: SWOT Analysis

The Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Chennai Super Kings in match 21 of the Indian Premier League at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Here is the analysis.

The SWOT for KKR

Strengths: The batting depth and flexibility are impressive. Against DC, they had a line-up in which the batsmen rotated as per the needs of the chase. Eoin Morgan came in at no. 6 with Pat Cummins at no. 7 and Rahul Tripathi at no. 8. This batting power can keep KKR hopes alive in any challenging chase. They also have a good mix of left- and right-hand batsmen.

Weaknesses: Sunil Narine's batting still seems to be a weak link. Experts and fans are asking questions about his role. Bowlers across the league have worked out how to get Narine out by countering his attacking strokes. His bowling is also becoming a liability right now.

Opportunity: KKR can try Tom Banton as an opener. Bringing in Banton can also give Dinesh Karthik a break from wicketkeeping. In 40 T20 matches that Banton has played so far, he has scored 1,093 runs at a strike rate of 154.16 with eight fifties and one hundred.

Threats: KKR have a poor record against CSK. This could be the right time to change that history as CSK are weaker this year. Karthik needs to make the most of this match.

The SWOT for CSK

Strengths: CSK’s bowling looks fairly settled. Piyush Chawla, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have all been among the wickets. Chawla, Curran and Chahar have combined to grab 16 wickets.

Weaknesses: The batting is still a concern for CSK. Although they mauled KXIP by 10 wickets in their last fixture, their frail batting has been exposed in previous matches. CSK need to mark out batting positions for players while leaving room for flexibility. They also need to experiment with their backup batsmen to settle on one who can be reliable.

Opportunities: Shane Watson made a welcome return to form and he should capitalise on this phase. The opening partnership is vital for CSK's success.

Threats: The win against KXIP would have silenced some critics. However, a loss in this match would again show inconsistency and that the team haven't been able to click together this year. CSK would want to clock some back-to-back wins.

Head to head:

Matches played: 23

Kolkata Knight Riders: 8

Chennai Super Kings: 14

No result: 1

Last five matches (latest match first):

Kolkata Knight Riders: L-W-W-L-L

Chennai Super Kings: W-L-L-L-W

Deccan Herald’s Dream XI

Faf du Plessis, Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Andre Russell, Sam Curran, Pat Cummins, Deepak Chahar, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Varun Chakravarthy

Ground conditions

The temperature will be around 31 degrees celsius. The humidity will be about 74%. A gentle breeze will blow from the North.

Team news

No injuries reported so far from either team.

Impact player for KKR

Andre Russell: He was KKR’s star performer last season. He hasn’t found his groove yet this year but he's only an innings away from reaching his best. He has been among the wickets and that should help his confidence. CSK should handle Russell carefully.

Impact player for CSK

Faf du Plessis: He has struck three fifties so far and has scored the runs at an average of 94.00. If there's a 'Mr. Reliable' at CSK who can occupy the crease and change gears at will, du Plessis is that batsman.

Betting odds (bet365)

Kolkata Knight Riders: 9/10

Chennai Super Kings: 9/10

How to watch

The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also catch the action online on Disney+Hotstar. The match begins at 7.30 PM IST.