Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders – an IPL 2015 match between two of the most supported and successful teams in the tournament's history; so a cracker of a contest awaits the fans at the MA Chidambaram stadium then.
CSK have been in tremendous form this season – but then, when are they not? – winning five of their first six games, with only the Rajasthan Royals, who have played a couple of games more, above them in the points table, and that too just by a point.
MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming have indentified the right team from the start of the tournament, and with injuries not being an issue so far, and that superstar lineup have displayed one outstanding performance after another.
Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith have set the tone of the CSK batting innings at the top, with Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Faf Du Plessis and Ravindra Jadeja doing the rest, while Ashish Nehra has been the star bowler for his team, both up front, and towards the end of the innings.
Spin was the only worry for CSK after their first five matches, but R Ashwin and Jadeja came to the fore in style to tie the Kings XI Punjab in knots in their last game. With spin expected to play a big part in Chepauk again, KKR will know the importance of finding their batting groove from ball one to be able to stay with the CSK juggernaut.
KKR, of course, are no underdogs, having won the IPL title in 2012 and last year, and even if their momentum has been quelled a bit with the loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the abandonment of their last game at the Eden Gardens against RR, and the saga surrounding Sunil Narine, they will remain a formidable unit, as Fleming knows pretty well.
"They are an excellent side and we have had some good battles with them," said the CSK coach. "We have played a couple of finals against them, the last one being the CLT20 last year. We have a healthy respect for their staff and their team.
"There is a similarity in CSK and KKR in that both the teams identify the brand of cricket they want to play and find players who fit in. They are a real rounded squad this year with Morne Morkel and Andre Russell going well. They also have a good, aggressive captain [in Gautam Gambhir]."
Gambhir's frown would have certainly increased a little after getting frustrated by rain this Sunday, as KKR looked to bounce back from their defeat to SRH, which was also weather-hampered.
So, after six matches, KKR have only managed to pick up three wins, which, thanks to the other sides' problems this season, keeps them in third in the points table. A win over CSK at the ground where the Super Kings have looked unbeatable might just be the springboard for a winning run, but KKR and Gambhir will know they will have to be at their absolute best, and then some, to pick up a win on Tuesday.
Where to Watch Live
Get the Report and Highlights of the Match HERE
CSK vs KKR is scheduled for an 8 pm IST (3.30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) start with live coverage in India on Sony Six, Sony Kix, Sony Aath and Sony Max. Catch the action in India via live streaming online on Hotstar and Starsports.com.
Viewers in the UK can watch Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders on Sky Sports, while the option to live stream is on Sky Go. Audience in the US can go to ESPN to watch the game live, while the IPL 2015 action can also be live streamed on ESPN Cricket. Viewers across the world can go to Cricketgateway.com to catch CSK vs KKR Live.
