CSK vs KKR Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2021 match?

The two hottest teams in the second phase of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL), the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), face off in Match 38 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 26.

CSK are placed first in the IPL 2021 points table at the time of writing, pending the outcome of the match between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Delhi Capitals. The Men in Yellow have seven wins from nine games and a net run rate of +1.185, having won each of their first two games in the UAE leg.

KKR, too, have got off to a winning start in the second phase of IPL 2021. Although they were a lowly seventh when the tournament resumed, they've raced up to fourth with four wins from nine games and a net run rate of +0.363.

In their previous game, CSK recorded a comfortable win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore, with smart captaincy from MS Dhoni capping off a complete bowling effort. KKR, on the other hand, annihilated the Mumbai Indians (MI) as their top order and bowlers fired for the second game running.

The reverse fixture between the two sides was a high-scoring encounter. After a stellar opening partnership between Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad took CSK to 220/3, a blitzkrieg from Andre Russell and then from Pat Cummins nearly took the game away from Dhoni after the KKR top order failed miserably. However, CSK held their nerve to take home an 18-run win.

While CSK could take a massive step towards sealing a top-two spot with a win, KKR could put immense pressure on RR and MI, who are also fighting it out in the playoff race.

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IPL 2021: Well-rounded CSK and KKR face off in titanic clash

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Barring their contrasting positions in the IPL 2021 points table, CSK and KKR have a lot in common. They have a strong top order, explosive all-rounders and a well-rounded bowling attack. Moreover, the middle order has had little to no time at the crease in the second leg.

CSK might be better off in the batting department, with almost all the batsmen barring Ravindra Jadeja having struck at least a few boundaries in IPL 2021's second phase. Suresh Raina turned in a promising display against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and will be crucial in countering the threat posed by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.

CSK's middle order might be a touch suspect against the extra pace of Russell and Lockie Ferguson, who support Prasidh Krishna in a versatile bowling attack. But they will back their deep lineup to overcome any potential shortcomings against the two-time champions.

Venkatesh Iyer, Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi, KKR's top three, have all played significant knocks in the UAE. Iyer, in particular, has looked almost invincible at the crease with his unorthodox and fearless hitting. Although Eoin Morgan and Nitish Rana don't appear to be in great form, KKR bat deep and can counter the solid bowling options at MS Dhoni's disposal.

The manner in which CSK deal with KKR's bowling attack will be the deciding factor. If the CSK middle order can survive the pace threat, KKR's mystery spin duo could finally meet their match in IPL 2021. At the other end of the spectrum, early wickets from Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood could expose the KKR middle order.

These matchups will be ones to keep an eye on in Abu Dhabi, which is the biggest ground in the UAE and has offered decent surfaces so far. And on paper, the three-time champions appear to have the edge when it comes to individual matchups. Dhoni's captaincy has never been better, and he could make the difference against KKR.

While Morgan's men have been red-hot in IPL 2021 so far and might make light work of CSK if their star performers come good again, the Men in Yellow start this contest as the favorites.

Prediction: CSK to win Match 38 of IPL 2021