Getty HYDERABAD, INDIA - MAY 12: Deepak Chahar of the Chennai Super Kings celebrates taking the wicket of Rohit Sharma of the Mumbai Indians during the Indian Premier League Final match between the the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on May 12, 2019 in Hyderabad, India. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Kolkata Knight Riders are making a late push for the playoffs in the 2021 Indian Premier League. Skipper Eoin Morgan’s in-form team is also primed to upset the picture at the top of the table, starting with Sunday’s game against Chennai Super Kings at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
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In the United States, the match (6 a.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV anywhere, but anyone in the US can watch Chennai Super Kings vs. Kolkata Knight Riders live on ESPN+:
With ESPN+, you’ll be able to stream every single Indian Premier League match. It also includes dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) all for $6.99 per month.
Or, if you also want Disney+ and Hulu, you can get all three for $13.99 per month. Separately, the three streaming services would cost a total $20.97 per month, so you’re saving about 33 percent:
Get the ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu Bundle
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Chennai Super Kings vs. Kolkata Knight Riders live on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
Chennai Super Kings vs. Kolkata Knight Riders Preview
The Knight Riders have found the winning edge at just the right time, thanks to victories over Royal Challengers Bangalore and defending champions the Mumbai Indians. Several key performers stood out in those matches, but none more so than Venkatesh Iyer. The 22-year-old powered his way to an impressive 53 from 30 balls against the Indians.
Iyer’s productivity in front of the wicket amply supported the efforts of Rahul Tripathi. The right-hander slogged a 74 not out, including eight fours and three sixes. Like the rest of the Kolkata lineup, Tripathi is building momentum at the business end of the season:
Rahul Tripathi gets into the top 10 run-scorers in IPL 2021.
A repeat of their performances against the Indians will be tough for Tripathi and Iyer against Chennai bowlers. The Super Kings obliterated the batting order of Royal Challengers Bangalore last time out. Dwayne Bravo took three wickets, while Shardul Thakur dismissed Devdutt Padikkal and AB de Villiers.
Chennai’s talent with the ball runs deep thanks to Moeen Ali and Deepak Chahar. England star Ali has posted an impressive economy rate of 6.00 during 15 overs this term, while Chahar leads the team with 11 wickets taken.
If Ali, Chahar and Bravo can control Tripathi and Iyer, the Super Kings have the six hitters to set a winning total. Faf du Plessis continues to set the standard with 351 runs and 15 sixes, both team-leading tallies. It’s far from a one-man show, though, with Ruturaj Gaikwad playing some of the best Cricket of his career.
Gaikwad has paced all Chennai batters in his last two matches. He smashed his way to an 88 not out during the 20-run win over the Indians. Gaikwad was also inspired against Bangalore, collecting 38 runs off 26 balls and leading the way for the Super Kings to complete a successful chase.
The task of keeping Chennai batters quiet could rest on the right arm of Sunil Narine. He was in a stingy mood against Mumbai, setting a measly economy rate of 5.00 from four overs, including bowling 10 dots:
Most times conceding 20 or fewer runs while bowling four overs in IPL:
32 – Sunil Narine
32 – R Ashwin
31 – Amit Mishra
25 – Dale Steyn
22 – Rashid Khan
Narine’s off-break deliveries will attack Gaikwad and the rest on the leg side. It should lead to a few choice wickets for the Knight Riders and keep Chennai’s run scoring to a manageable total.
Lockie Ferguson can complement Narine with a more direct approach. The Kiwis pacer took two wickets when Kolkata beat the Challengers earlier this month, and Ferguson repeated the trick against Mumbai. Add in Andre Russell’s death bowling against the lower order, and the Knight Riders have the match-winners they need to spring an upset.
Both teams have so much to play for, even if Chennai’s potential reward of a place in Qualifier 1 is the bigger prize. Momentum is a potent force, though, and the Knight Riders have it at the perfect time.