Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings IPL Tips: Time for Gurbaz gamble

• KKR skinny jollies

• Eden Gardens pitch has been flat

• CSK may shorten by the break

• Urvil Patel one to watch

• Gurbaz worth the risk on the Exchange

Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings
Wednesday 7 May, 15:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings IPL team news

KKR are still in with a shout of a play-off but they're going to probably need to win their last three. Their excellent net run rate is a major boost.

With successive wins they might have hit form at the right time and this is a golden opportunity to make it three. They could go level with Delhi in fifth with two points. Another major filip was Andre Russell finding some batting form with a blitz against Rajasthan Royals.

Probable KKR XI: Gurbaz, Narine, Rahane, Raghuvanshi (Harshit sub), Venkatesh, Russell, Rinku, Ramandeep, Moeen, Arora, Varun

Chennai almost got up to chase 213 against RCB and one wonders whether the two-run defeat, the ninth of a disastrous campaign, knocks the stuffing out of them. 

Indeed, there is talk of even more experimentation with the line-up after they jettisoned the likes of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. Keeper-batter Urvil Patel is in line for a game after replacing the injured Vansh Bedi. He could come in at the top of the order with Deepak Hooda being dropped. 

Possible CSK XI: U Patel, Mhatre, Rasheed, Curran, Jadeja, Brevis, Dhoni, Dube (Pathirana sub), Khamboj, Noor, Khaleel, 

Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings IPL pitch report

More than 200 has been breached four times in six this season in first-innings at Eden Gardens. But we are wary of whether significant traffic has an impact on the surface, particularly with play-offs due to be played there. Fresh surfaces may be saved for the knockouts. The overs line is set at 196.5. Both teams to score 180 is set at 4/61.67 but Chennai runs are pitched at 177.5. Those bets are practically related.

The sixes line with Sportsbook is interesting. There were 24 in KKR v Royals with an over/unders line of 19.5. This time though the line is at 18.5. That would have won in ten of the last 22. It suggests Sportsbook are also wary of the wicket.

Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings match prediction

This is the time of the season where one can usually trust the formbook to hold. But by Jove it will take a leap of faith to reckon that KKR are the wrong price to back at 1.695/7.

The head-to-head, of course, would justify that price. The hosts rolled for CSK for just 103 for nine and then won by seven wickets. A not insignificant point because KKR failed to beat Punjab when chasing just 111. Which kind of brings us back to the original point.

Chennai are a very poor team. but KKR also have a stinker in them. Given the disparity and the likelihood of a flact wicket, Chennai could well make this at least a choice affair by the break.

Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings player bets

There is no price yet for Urvil to top score for Chennai. But don't be surprised if he opens so anything around 9/25.50 warrants an interest when the XI is named. We expect him to open. He had an excellent Syed Mushtaq Trophy last time out, smashing 315 runs at a strike rate of an incredible 230. In a match in Indore (admittedly a road), he hit a 28-ball ton which is the joint- second-fastest in history. He was the top six-hitter in the competition. To be frank, it's a bit strange that he wasn't with a franchise from ball one and he wasn't even in the auction. 

For KKR we have an inkling for Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a score. He is not reliable in this market but the 5/16.00 on the Exchange has the feel of an edge for a fifty or zero player who is approaching the sweet spot after a lean trot. He did find some form last time out so there shouldn't be an issue with how he is seeing it. 

With the ball, Sunil Narine dod the damage to CSK last time out with three wickets and Sportsbook's 4/15.00 for top bowler probably doesn't take that into account. 

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