Teams in need of urgent recovery
Match facts
Chennai v Kolkata, ChennaiTuesday, April 13
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Big Picture
Dispiriting defeats in their previous games have left Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the lower half of the IPL and, with just three games each to play, Tuesday's match could push the losing team perilously close to elimination. A good win for Chennai, on the other hand, will, at the least, take them to fourth place and if the day's other game ends in a big defeat for Delhi, they could climb to third.Kolkata are seventh, and should they win, they'll be tied on 12 points with at least three other teams.
In their last games, both teams were let down by their middle orders. Chennai lost five wickets for 24 runs against Deccan Chargers, resulting in a failed defence of a below-par score that drained out the confidence of beating table-toppers Mumbai Indians in the match before.
Kolkata have alternated between victory and defeat in their last six matches, but their loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore prompted their captain Sourav Ganguly to describe the performance as "pathetic" and launch a tirade against some of the younger Indian players in the side for their performance in the field. An excellent start by the top order had been squandered, and the bowling was mauled. If the captain's stinging criticism doesn't hurt and spur Kolkata to do better, little else will.
Form guide (most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders: LWLWL
Chennai Super Kings: LWWWL
Team talk
Ishant Sharma returned for Kolkata against Bangalore but was blasted for 46 in four wicketless overs. Ajantha Mendis was just as bad, conceding 44 and being reverse-swept for sixes by Robin Uthappa. Shane Bond is likely to return, as is Murali Kartik, who had been out due to a groin injury. If Kartik is unable to recover, Iqbal Abdulla could be called in.Will Chennai continue to keep Muttiah Muralitharan out? He's missed the last two games, but R Ashwin and Shadab Jakati, the two frontline spinners in Chennai's line-up have done well. Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp are both match fit. Albie, who also opens the bowling, could be drafted in for Thilan Thushara.
Previously
Chennai 3, Kolkata 1Chennai were comfortable victors in the previous encounter, with MS Dhoni making an unbeaten 66 and Kemp chipping in with three wickets.
In the spotlight
Kolkata's young Indian contingent: Criticised by their captain, they have much to prove. Manoj Tiwary was dismissed for a duck against Bangalore, and Kolkata depend much on him to consolidate after the top three. Cheteshwar Pujara played an eight-ball cameo, but hasn't had too many opportunities, nor has Wriddhiman Saha with the bat. A player Ganguly has singled out for praise is Ashok Dinda, and his sharing the new ball with Bond should make exciting viewing.R Ashwin: Introduced in the Powerplay, Ashwin picked up two wickets in four balls in Deccan's chase. He's been among the more economical bowlers for Chennai this season, and varied his lengths and flight. In the absence of Murali, he's been their lead spinner and has shouldered that responsibility well.
Prime numbers
- Chennai have done better than Kolkata in the last six overs. They've scored 605 runs at a rate of 9.45, Kolkata 579 at 8.95. Both teams have lost 25 wickets.
- Kolkata's fast bowlers have done a slightly better job than Chennai. They've gone at a rate of 8.53 an over, and taken 38 wickets at 31.68. Chennai's bowlers have been slightly more expensive, going at 8.97 an over, and grabbed 30 wickets at 35.30.
The chatter
"They have to pick themselves up, there's no option. The entire world is watching, the selectors are watching... if they play like this, God help their careers."
Sourav Ganguly's message for the youngsters is clear.Siddhartha Talya is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo
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