It is a do-or-die game for KKR, who must win all their remaining three matches to stay in playoffs contention
Pic: IPL/X
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat against Chennai Super Kings in their must-win Indian Premier League match on Wednesday.
The defending champions, who need to win all their remaining matches to stay in the race for the playoffs, have made one change with Manish Pandey coming in for Venkatesh Iyer, who has stitches on his hand.
It is a do-or-die game for KKR, who must win all their remaining three matches to stay in playoffs contention, the match will be more about celebrating Dhoni's legacy than the result.
KKR currently have 11 points, and winning all three of their remaining games will take them to 17. Even then, qualification could come down to net run-rate and other results.
KKR's remaining fixtures, against Sunrisers Hyderabad and RCB (both away), are tricky. Coming off a thrilling one-run win over Rajasthan Royals, KKR will look to build on that momentum.
Andre Russell's return to form was crucial in that game, and the Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR will hope that Venkatesh Iyer, who has been under scrutiny for his Rs 23.75-crore price tag, can also find his rhythm, possibly drawing inspiration from the Jamaican's explosive unbeaten fifty.
Russell's match-up against spinners will be important, especially with CSK likely to use Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin on a surface that offers a bit of grip.
Meanwhile, CSK, who are out of playoff contention, have brought in Devon Conway and Urvil Patel in place of Shaik Rasheed and Sam Curran.
While five-time champions CSK are already out of the playoff race, Dhoni remains at the helm, and his presence alone is expected to turn Eden yellow, despite the match being on KKR's home turf.
For a city where Dhoni has deep personal ties, his in-laws live here, and it is where he played much of his junior cricket, Wednesday could end up being emotionally charged for both the 43-year-old and his fans.
The Eden Gardens has witnessed many of Dhoni's milestones, from his maiden first-class century to two of his six Test hundreds.
He has also played club cricket here, including a memorable P Sen Trophy final for Shambazar Club.
So, when the iconic No.7 walks out on May 7, many will wonder if it's the last time Dhoni plays at this historic venue.
Dhoni, who took responsibility for CSK's narrow two-run loss to RCB in their previous match, is no longer the dominant force he once was.
Despite being in a strong position at 172/2 while chasing 214, CSK fell short in the final over.
Dhoni was dismissed by Yash Dayal off the third ball of the last over, managing 12 runs off 8 balls. He later took the "blame" for the loss.
But for the fans, Dhoni is still an emotion, and a strong one at that.
Teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Chennai Super Kings: Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Devon Conway, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Ravichandran Ashwin, MS Dhoni (w/c), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.
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