 Kolkata Knight Riders will play their third game in the very first week of the
IPL, when they take on the Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
This will be the second game for Chennai Super Kings and second one for the Eden
Gardens. The game will be a night match played on Tuesday, 16th of March, 2010.
The Knight Riders will not want to fall in the trap that they had fallen in
last season. They had won a game, lost a close one, and after that, it had all
gone downhill for them. And given that this is going to be their third game
in a single week, they will need to be careful about the manner in which they
play as it has been shown in the past that it is not difficult to lose momentum
once you start losing the games.
Click Here to Watch Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Chennai Super Kings LiveThe Kolkata Knight Riders will open the innings for the Knight Riders, a decision,
undoubtedly brought about by the fact that the Knight Riders are without their
opening batsmen in Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle. Both, McCullum
and Gayle are currently involved in their international commitments, and this
allows Hodge to try and seal his spot in the team as an opener. If he does not
play too well in the side in these first three games, there is a good chance
that he may not only lose his opening slot, but also get out of the team given
that only four foreigners are allowed every side.
The bowling will be propped up by the presence of Shane Bond, but the
interesting battle will be between him and Matthew Hayden at the top of the
order. Hayden is not known to think twice about going down the track and taking
the bowlers on, and Bond will be no exception for him. What will be different
is that Bond has both, the experience and the pace to stop that from happening,
while Hayden has grown that tad older and could have a problem with his reflexes.
Of course, one mustn't forget that Hayden was the orange cap winner for the
previous edition of the tournament.
One may also see a lot of Shah rukh Khan in the stands, given that it is a
home game for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The reason why I write this
in a cricket preview - and it is not a movie preview, I know - is that SRK has
the ability to pull the crowds over, and get behind the side, which could pay
rich dividends for his team. My bet is that Kolkata will win this one!
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