CSK vs KKR IPL 2022 preview: New captains Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer set to lock horns in season opener

From a team point of view, CSK has held on to last season’s orange cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad who will be expected to open the batting but will miss the experience of Faf du Plessis who finished just behind Gaikwad on the scoring charts last season. In his place, they’ve brought in big-hitting Kiwi Devon Conway which also provides the team with a left-right batting combination at the top of the order.

There’s loads of experience in the side with the likes of Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo and also a healthy sprinkling of youth with Shivam Dube, who can add quick runs and chip in with a few handy overs, and Sri Lankan mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana.

Meanwhile, it’s not only Jadeja who will be replacing a World Cup-winning captain at the helm on Saturday. KKR have put their trust in Shreyas Iyer after releasing Eoin Morgan who led them to the Final last season.

Iyer has been in scintillating form for Team India and will be eager to carry that into the IPL, especially with the T20 World Cup just around the corner. KKR have also been smart in recruiting Ajinkya Rahane who is expected to provide a perfect foil to Venkatesh Iyer at the top of the order while retaining the services of lethal spin duo Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine.

They also held on to hard-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell but will sorely miss the services of Aussie duo Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch in their first five matches as they’re both part of Australia's ongoing tour of Pakistan.

CSK Team News: Moeen Ali is expected to miss the tournament opener due to issues with his visa. Deepak Chahar for whom CSK shelled out an eye-watering Rs 14 crore is also out after picking up a quadriceps injury and is expected to only return to action in mid-April.

KKR Team News: As mentioned earlier, Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch are part of Australia's ongoing tour of Pakistan, which ends on April 5 and will miss the initial part of the tournament.

Where to Watch: The matches will be telecast live on the Star Sports network. Viewers can also tune into the action via the Disney+ Hotstar app.

CSK vs KKR Pitch Report: The Wankhede track is known to help batters with the smaller boundaries making it easy to clear the ropes. However, the spinners will be expected to play a big role in the middle overs with some turn on offer.

Top Fantasy Batting Picks: Ruturaj Gaikwad finished last season as the top scorer with 635 runs from 16 matches, playing a big role in CSK’s title run and will no doubt be expected to replicate that form. Nitish Rana will also be a good pick with his penchant for playing without fear and the smaller boundaries at Wankhede should only help him clear the ropes more frequently.

Top Fantasy All-Rounder Picks: Newly crowned captain Ravindra Jadeja will surely be one to watch out for, especially since he’s been in good touch off late with match-winning performances for the national team. Andre Russell will be another hot pick with his ability to single-handedly dictate the outcome of games with either bat or ball in hand.

Top Fantasy Bowling Picks: While the pacers may not have much joy on this Wankhede track the spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Maheesh Theekshana may prove to be inspirational picks. All three spinners have the ability to bamboozle batters with their vast array of variations and should pick up a few wickets.

CSK Probable XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (C), MS Dhoni (WK), Shivam Dube, Dwayne Bravo, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana and Adam Milne.

KKR Probable XI: Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (C), Sam Billings (WK), Andre Russell, Mohammad Nabi, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy