The Indian Premier League 2025 season brings another exciting clash as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Both teams will be aiming to strengthen their positions on the points table with a crucial win. Here's a detailed match preview with predicted playing elevens, player statistics, and important matchups between batters and bowlers.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C)
Rachin Ravindra
Shivam Dube
Moeen Ali
MS Dhoni (WK)
Sameer Rizvi
Ravindra Jadeja
Maheesh Theekshana
Deepak Chahar
Matheesha Pathirana
Tushar Deshpande
The Super Kings are likely to continue backing Ruturaj Gaikwad as their leader, with Dhoni still playing a key mentorship and wicketkeeping role. The bowling will once again rely heavily on Pathirana’s death-over skills and Jadeja’s all-round abilities.
Phil Salt (WK)
Sunil Narine
Venkatesh Iyer
Shreyas Iyer (C)
Rinku Singh
Andre Russell
Ramandeep Singh
Mitchell Starc
Varun Chakravarthy
Harshit Rana
Vaibhav Arora
Kolkata’s core remains power-packed with explosive hitters like Russell and Salt, and bowling variety with Starc and Chakravarthy. Skipper Shreyas Iyer will anchor the middle order while Narine is expected to continue his attacking starts.
Stats: Gaikwad has a strike rate of 134 against left-arm pace.
Battle: Starc's new ball threat could test Gaikwad’s technique early on, especially under lights.
Stats: Rinku has struggled against mystery spin, averaging under 20.
Battle: Theekshana’s variations could neutralize Rinku’s power-hitting in the middle overs.
Stats: Dube has dominated spin with a strike rate over 160.
Battle: Dube’s matchup against Chakravarthy could define CSK’s middle-overs momentum.
Matches Played: 29
CSK Wins: 18
KKR Wins: 10
No Result: 1
Chennai holds a commanding lead in their head-to-head battles against Kolkata, but KKR will look to flip the script with a balanced squad in IPL 2025.
The New Zealand all-rounder has impressed in the top order and provides part-time spin, making him a key asset.
Back as an opener, Narine has provided quick starts and economical spells with the ball, maintaining his impact across formats.
Known for his toe-crushing yorkers, Pathirana is emerging as one of the best death bowlers in the tournament.
A game-changer with both bat and ball, Russell’s late-order hitting remains a big threat for CSK.
The match will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, known for its slow and turning pitches. Spinners are expected to play a significant role, and a score of 160-170 could be highly competitive.
The match will be available for live streaming on JioCinema and broadcast on Star Sports Network. Fans can also catch highlights and real-time stats via IPL’s official app.