pr-web-rcb-vs-rr-web-15

0:

Match Details

Date: October 15, 2021

Time: 7:30 PM (IST)

Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Live Ball-by-ball Commentary: SportsTiger App

Preview:

Two-time champions Kolkata will face three-time winners Chennai in the highly-anticipated final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday. Chennai and Kolkata have undoubtedly been the two best teams in the UAE edition of Indian T20 League 2021. While Chennai defeated Delhi in Qualifier 1, Kolkata defeated Bangalore in Eliminator 1 and then beat Delhi in Qualifier 2 to book their place in the summit clash.

Team News:

Chennai- Suresh Raina missed the last few league matches due to a "bad left knee". Raina has started practising in nets but he is unlikely to comeback into the team due to Robin Uthappa's good showing in Qualifier 1. Chennai have a settled team at the moment and they are unlikely to make any changes to their winning combination. The MS Dhoni-led side is in vintage form, with all the players contributing to the team's cause.

Kolkata- Despite no Andre Russell, Kolkata have looked a formidable unit with the in-form players like Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy. Kolkata chief mentor David Hussey revealed that Andre Russell is recovering from his hamstring injury and "might be in the mix" for the IPL final. As a result, Russell could replace Shakib Al Hasan in the team.

Head to Head (in Indian T20 League):

Matches Played – 24

Chennai – 16

Kolkata - 8

Key Players:

Ruturaj Gaikwad:

The uncapped Indian opener has had an excellent tournament so far as he has contributed to his team's cause with quick-fire knocks. He is 2nd in the list of top run-scorers in the tournament with 603 runs at a strike rate of 137.36. He has smashed 61 fours and 22 sixes this season. It will be interesting to see whether he can maintain his high level of performance against the likes of Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson and Varun Chakaravarthy.

Venkatesh Iyer:

The 26-year-old Madhya Pradesh player has lit up the Indian T20 League with his stylish batting. He has been in brilliant touch and his batting displays have changed KKR’s fortunes in the second leg. The spotlight will again be on the 6-foot 4-inch-tall opener when he takes on the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar.

Moeen Ali:

The all-rounder has been a consistent performer for England and Chennai over recent years. The talented all-rounder is a key player for Chennai and he will be the player to watch out for in the highly-anticipated final. The Chennai top-order seems settled at the moment, courtesy of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis' impressive form. Considering the nature of surface at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Moeen Ali’s all-round performance will again be crucial for Hyderabad.

Probable Playing XI:

Chennai: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

Kolkata: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy