Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Betting Tips 21/04/2021

19:04, 20 Apr 2021

Senior Author

19:04, 20 Apr 2021

Zohaib Ahmed is a sports journalist whose profession is to report and edit but whose passion is to predict and bet. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade and has worked/written for various bookmakers/tipsters. His expertise is in cricket, football, MMA, boxing and basketball.

The 15th fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 sees Kolkata Knight Riders take on Chennai Super Kings in what is a re-run of the 2012 final. The match will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 21 (Wednesday) and is scheduled to start at 7:30pm IST.

Teams Status

Kolkata Knight Riders started their 2021 campaign with a decent win over Sunrisers Hyderabad but have since lost two straight. Against Mumbai Indians, they could not chase a very chaseable target of 153 despite cruising at one point and being 84-1. Against RCB, they could be forgiven, for their target was 205 and even though they were quick off the blocks, the target was just too big.

During this two-game slide, they’ve been let down by both bowling and batting. With names such as Eoin Morgan, Shakib Al Hasan and Andre Russell, it’s not like that their middle or lower order has a lack of skill or experience. Yet, they suffered a meltdown against Mumbai.

Meanwhile, in the match against RCB, they thought they had things under control, with RCB not even past the 100-mark when the third wicket fell in the 12^th over.

But then AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell, two of the most powerful hitters around, went berserk, scoring 76 and 78-run knocks to swell up the RCB total beyond 200 and out of KKR’s reach. Still, they should have managed more than the 166 they made, losing by a sizable margin of 38.

Chennai Super Kings, unlike KKR, are on a two-match winning streak. Having lost their opener to Delhi, CSK brushed aside Punjab Kings in the follow-up game before doing the same to Rajasthan Royals last night.

Over the last two games, CSK’s bowling unit has found their rhythm. Thanks to their brilliance against Punjab, whom they had restricted to just 106, the CSK batters did not get to bat much. But during last night’s win over Rajasthan, they batted first and piled up 188 runs in a cause that got contributions from everywhere. As many as eight CSK batters scored in double figures, which signify that it was a team effort rather than a one-man show.

Their ageing captain MS Dhoni, however, was criticized for his lethargic 17-ball 18.

With the ball, the star in the win over Punjab was Deepak Chahar (4-for) and againt Rajasthan Moeen Ali was the main man, taking three wickets for just seven runs.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Brand	Home team name	Away team name
	2.0	1.80
	2.005	1.805
	2.0	1.79

CSK are the favourites in this matchup, whereas KKR are the underdogs. At 22Bet, you can back CSK at 1.805 and KKR at 2.005; Bet365 has CSK at 1.80 and KKR at 2.0; and lastly, LeoVegas as CSK at 1.79 and KKR at 2.0.

Tipster’s Angel

Tip: CSK to win @ 1.805

KKR’s batting is prone to strange behavior and is susceptible to inexplicable, unforeseen meltdowns. With CSK’s bowling doing well of late, KKR could have a hard time in keeping the runs coming or even holding their wickets intact. CSK is the stronger side, here, and should be backed for the win at decent odds of 1.805.

Tip: Eoin Morgan to hit a 4 and a 6 @ 1.53

In the three matches he’s played so far this season, Eoin Morgan has not really got going. Contributions of a 2 and a seven in the first two matches was followed by a 23-ball 29. He is much better than that. Whether KKR lose or win, Morgan, as the team’s captain would want to step up and stay at the crease longer. And we know what happens when he stays at the crease for some time. The boundaries, they flow, which is why we like this bet even if the odds are a bit shorter.

Conclusion

In the last five matches played between these sides, CSK leads 3-2. It shows there is little to choose between them but if you really had to, you should pick the Dhoni-led side.