Match: KKR v CSK
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Time: 18:30
Live on: OSN Sports CricketHD
The hotly-anticipated encounter between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens received twin blows on the eve of the match, taking some sheen off the encounter.
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Tonight’s match was supposed to be a showdown between two of the finest spinners in operation, with Kolkata’s Sunil Narine locking horns with Chennai’s Ravichandran Ashwin. But with clouds of a suspect bowling action on one and the absence of the other due to injury, both teams will enter the game on the back foot.
Narine is going through a tough time, with his action being reported for the third time in six months. The BCCI has banned the West Indian from bowling off spinners, which have been deemed to exceed the maximum allowed flex in the bowling arm, but can continue to bowl the knuckle ball and straighter delivery.
CSK vs #KKR: Battle between two wily skippers http://t.co/uNSGhlP3p4 #KKRvCSK pic.twitter.com/em6hJ4z9zp
— KKR Knight Riders (@kkrofficial) April 28, 2015
However, it’s difficult to see Narine being the same bowler with one arm tied behind his back.
In such a scenario, the Knight Riders will have to rely on other spinners in the side. And they do have some decent options. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla bowled superbly in their previous clash, against the Super Kings, as he took two for 26 from his four overs. He received excellent support from veteran Aussie chinaman Brad Hogg, who gave away just 18 runs from four overs for one wicket.
The Knight Riders lost that game by just two runs and will be desperate to get back at Chennai, who have their own personnel issues. Ashwin has been ruled out of their next two games after he split the webbing of his right hand while attempting to take a catch of Suryakumar Yadav at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
His absence will even things up at the Eden Gardens with Kolkata looking to close the gap on Chennai, who are five points ahead of them. It will be interesting to see how Chennai cope with this forced changed as they have played with same set of players in the first seven games. The Super Kings will have to rely on untested spinners Pawan Negi or Rahul Sharma.
