IPL 2025: Dire situation for KKR, must beat CSK to keep playoff hopes alive

KOLKATA: A clash between the defending champions and five-time winners is usually expected to be a mouth-watering one, but it’s unlikely to turn out that way when Kolkata Knight Riders host Chennai Super Kings in their last home match here on Wednesday. CSK have been a punching bag for most sides and have been eliminated early, failing to put up any meaningful challenge.All eyes will instead be on the hosts, who are walking the tightrope. KKR need to win all their remaining three league matches to stay afloat, although even that will not guarantee them a playoff spot. After back-to-back victories for the first time this season, an upbeat KKR will hope that Wednesday will not be their last appearance at the Eden Gardens in this IPL and they can do a ‘double’ on the Yellow Army.But KKR will be watching out for a spin in the tale, of either CSK playing party poopers or another norwester washing out a game.Likely XIIs: KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Moeen Ali. CSK: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matheesha Pathirana.