The Kolkata Knight Riders travel to searing heat of Chennai to play the Chennai Super Kings in the 48th game of the third edition of the IPL. Both sides are at the bottom half of the pile with exactly the same number of points; 10 from 11 games, and that means that any of the sides lose the game, they should almost kiss their chances a good-bye. This match will be a virtual pre-quarter-final, with the winning side, still having a chance to go through to the knock0out round, whereas the side that loses would almost be knocked out of the competition.

The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, Sourav Ganguly, was in a belligerent mood after the game against the Bangalore team. He said that while he had no problems in losing the game, he definitely had issues in the way the team played in their match against Bangalore and said that if this is how the team was going to perform in the future as well, then good luck to them for the future.

Of course, there was a lot of sense in what he spoke. But the problem is that Ganguly, himself, did not set an example on the field when he dropped a simple catch at the start of the innings and let his side down. This meant that the team could not get any early wickets and lost the game.

The problem with Kolkata is that they have not been able to string the 20 overs of good bowling together. Their batting has clicked in almost all of the recent games, but the bowling has been abysmal in some. Ishant Sharma continues to be hit, Ajit Agarkar is an old shadow of himself, whereas their best bowler, Murali Kartik is injured and out of the side, giving youngster Iqbal Abdullah a chance.

For the Chennai team, it is literally a case of striking when the iron - or the weather - is hot! It has been such a weather in Chennai that almost all teams have struggled to get going and that could mean that the Kolkata side would find it difficult to adapt themselves to the hot conditions. Add that to the fact that the Chennai side will look to Murali Vijay and bat the side out of the game means that it could be the game to look out for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

It is Chennai's bowling, much like Kolkata's that could provide their opposition some relief!

Tag :- Chennai Super Kings   Ishant Sharma   Kolkata Knight Riders   Murali Kartik   Murali Vijay   Sourav Ganguly