Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Prediction - IPL 2022 Match 01: Who Will Win?

Chennai Super Kings Team Preview

The Chennai Super Kings had a really good IPL 2022 Mega Auction and spend some big money on quality players such as Deepak Chahar, who they bought for a huge fee of 14 crores. Other quality players that can be found in their squad include Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravi Jadeja, Devon Conway, and Moeen Ali. Additionally, we cannot forget the fact that they are captained by M. S. Dhoni, who is ice cool when under pressure - a trait that all captains need to have.

When it comes to the playing XI, we expect to see Gaikwad and Conway open the batting, while Robin Uthappa will come in at number three. The middle order should be made up of Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Dhoni, and Jadeja. We expect to see Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Prashant Solanki, and Adam Milne make up their bowling attack. This is definitely a team that is more than capable of retaining the title that they won last year in the United Arab Emirates.

If you are looking to do a bit of online cricket betting and want to place a bet on the top scorer for the CSK in this match, then we would recommend that you put your money on the likes of Gaikwad or Uthappa. The former gets to bat during the powerplay, so has a better chance of scoring the most runs since there will be fielding restrictions in play. If you want to make an IPL prediction regarding their best bowler in this first match, then we would put our money on Jadeja as he has been in fine form as of late.

Kolkata Knight Riders Team Preview

The Kolkata Riders have a decent squad too and spend well during the auction, but they were so desperate to get back Pat Cummins, Nitish Rana, and Shreyas Iyer that they spent more than half of their budget on three players. Therefore, when it comes to their squad depth, we would say that it is not as deep as that of CSK. Some other quality players that can be found in their squad includes the likes of Andre Russell, Alex Hales, and Ajinkya Rahane.

When it comes to their opening partnership, we feel that Venkatesy Iyer and Rana will be tasked with getting their teams off to a flier. Once the first wicket falls, Iyer, who is the captain, will enter the fray and he should be followed by Rinku Singh, Sheldon Jackson, and Russell. The bowling attack will likely be made up of Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi, and Cummins.

If you want to do some IPL betting and put your money on the top scorer for the KKR in this match, then we would suggest that you put your money on Shreyas Iyer as he has been batting beautifully as of late, and we expect him to be able to take this form into the 2022 IPL. When it comes to IPL betting sites, you will also be able to put your money on the top wicket-taker for KKR, and in this case we would be tempted to put our money on Ferguson as we feel that his express pace could cause plenty of issues.

Toss Prediction

This is an evening game which means that dew could play a big factor in the match when the second innings is being played out. Dew is a bowler's nightmare because it prevents them from being able to grip the ball properly, which means they end up bowling bad balls that the batsman can just deposit into the stands. So, since dew could end up being an issue, our toss prediction is that the team that goes on to win the coin toss will more than likely opt to field first.

Pitch Conditions

The surface at the Wankhede Stadium has been prepared using red clay which ensures that the pitch stays hard right throughout the match. Batsmen often enjoy playing on this surface as it often products high-scoring matches. There is usually not a lot on offer for the bowlers at this venue, but there is usually a bit of swing in the first few overs, meaning it is vital to take advantage if this help early on.