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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CLT20 2014 Match 1: Kolkata Knight Riders’ likely XI

Kolkata Knight Riders take on Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of CLT20 2014.

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Kolkata Knight Riders' hopes will be pinned on Robin Uthappa for another great show © IANS
Kolkata Knight Riders’ hopes will be pinned on Robin Uthappa for another great show © IANS

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will clash in the inaugural match of Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014. Sandipan Banerjee takes a look at KKR’s likely XI for this important match.

CSK and KKR are the two most popular teams of Indian Premier League (IPL) and they will play in the opening game of CLT20 2014 in Hyderabad. Both teams would want to start the tournament on a positive note and it will be a tough match to start the competition with. Though Morne Morkel’s absence might disturb their combination, but it can be good opportunity for the likes of Pat Cummings to grab the opportunity with both hands.

Here is the like playing XI for Kolkata for Wednesday’s opener:

Gautam Gambhir (c): Gautam Gambhir will bat at the top of the order for KKR. His role in the opening positing will be crucial for KKR’s chances in the tournament. He along with Robin Uthappa would like to give KKR good and steady start. On personal note also this tournament will be crucial for Knights’ captain Gambhir. He needs to do something extraordinary to keep his hopes alive for selection in the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup 2015.  CLT20 2014 is a perfect tournament for him, as performances over here may help him to win back the selectors.

Robin Uthappa (wk):  Robin Uthappa had a dream run in the IPL 2014. His brilliant knocks at the top of the order played a key role in KKR’s performance. But after IPL he didn’t have much success, so for Uthappa this tournament is a good platform to impress the selectors.

Manish Pandey: Who can forget the excellent knock by this Karnataka boy in the IPL final? Most probably on Wednesday he will bat at his usual batting position and according to many experts, No 3 is the best position for him in this KKR team.

Jacques Kallis: Jacques Kallis was dropped from the KKR squad in the latter stages of IPL 2014. But in a short tournament like champion’s league, KKR are likely to play him for having better combination. Having Kallis in the middle-order would be gamble for Kolkata Knight Riders as Kallis hasn’t played much cricket of late and there are doubts regarding his fitness and form.

Yusuf Pathan: Team management’s faith in Yusuf Pathan had finally paid off when he single-handedly put KKR in the Qualifiers of IPL as the No 2 team in the points table with a breath-taking knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens. Knowing his capabilities against spinners, Pathan should bat at No 5 against a spin-heavy team like CSK.

Ryan Ten Doeschate: KKR have always used Ryan ten Doeschate as one of the finishers and they should continue to do so in the CLT20. Apart from his batting, Doeschate’s slow medium pace bowling can be an asset for the team.

Suryakumar Yadav: Suryakumar Yadav at No 7 was a revolution for KKR in last IPL. His unorthodox shots can hurt the opposition big time.  At that slot he can be most effective for the boys in purple.

Piyush Chawla: Piyush Chawla will be the supporting spinner of Sunil Narine. Though he generally ends up conceding lot of runs, Chawla is a wicket-taking bowler and leg spinners add variety to any team.

Sunil Narine: The West Indian mystery man is probably the most important player for KKR. His four overs are generally the deciding factor for Gambhir’s team. Narine opted out from the West Indies’ home Test series against Bangladesh to play in the Champions League, which shows his value for this squad.

Pat Cummins: Morkel’s injury will give Australian quick bowler a chance to play. He is fit and raring to go. Against CSK batting line-up his pace can make a difference.

Umesh Yadav: Yadav had a good IPL, but he missed chances to play regularly for the national team in recent times. But for KKR his place is almost certain, given the fact that Kolkata will be without the services of Morkel. Along with Cummings, Yadav can be effective opening bowling pair for the Knights.

Complete coverage of Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014 here

(Sandipan Banerjee is a reporter at CricketCountry. Cricket has been the biggest passion for him since his childhood. So, when it came to choosing his career, he chose to turn his passion into his profession. Apart from cricket he likes mountain trekking, river rafting and photography. His twitter handle is @im_sandipan)

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