CSK, KKR in Battle of Bottom-Dwellers

CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings may have finally opened their account in IPL-19, but the sense of relief comes with a caveat. The pressure hasn’t quite lifted off skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who continues to grapple with both form and the demands of leadership. When the five-time champions take on Kolkata Knight Riders here at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, Ruturaj & Co. will look to turn a solitary win into momentum.It is a contest that pits the two bottom-dwellers against each other. CSK sit ninth on the table, just above KKR, whose only point so far has come from a washed-out game at the Eden Gardens. For Ruturaj, the scrutiny is hard to ignore. Four innings have brought just 14 runs on average and a strike rate of 103 poor numbers for an opener in a tournament where scoring rates have soared. Encouragingly for CSK, others have stepped up. Sanju Samson lit up the previous game with a fluent century against Delhi Capitals, while youngster Ayush Mhatre has quietly impressed with two half-centuries in four outings. The return of Dewald Brevis has further strengthened CSK. Even without batting in the last game, his presence added firepower and balance to the middle order. On the bowling front, Jamie Overton led the charge with a superb four-wicket haul, using hard lengths to great effect and building pressure through dot balls. Debutant left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh made an instant impact with a wicket off his very first delivery, while Anshul Kamboj has been the standout performer so far, picking up eight wickets in four matches. KKR, meanwhile, have endured a difficult start to the season. Their most recent defeat, against Lucknow, exposed familiar frailties. All eyes remain on Cameron Green, whose record-breaking price tag of ₹25.2 crore has yet to translate into performances. There was some encouragement, though, as he returned to bowling after a brief layoff. Adding to their worries is the fitness of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who had to miss the last two games owing to a finger injury. The team management is still moniSri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana joined the KKR squad after getting an NOC from his Board, but he is unlikely to play on Tuesday.



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