"They have good spinners, and their batters will play spin better" - Virender Sehwag picks favorites in KKR vs CSK IPL 2025 clash

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has picked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as the favorites for their IPL 2025 clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He reasoned that the defending champions have good spinners and that their batters play spin better than the five-time champions.

KKR and CSK will square off in Match 25 of IPL 2025 in Chennai on Friday, April 11. While the visitors are placed sixth on the points table with four points from five games, the home team occupy the ninth spot with two points from their five matches.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Sehwag was asked to pick the favorites for Friday's IPL 2025 clash between KKR and CSK.

"I feel KKR. Chennai are not playing the kind of cricket KKR are playing. So I feel the scales will be tilted towards KKR because they have good spinners, and their batters will play spin better. Chennai's batting hasn't fired thus far. If the batting fires, something can happen, or else KKR," he responded.

Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu noted that CSK can't be taken lightly due to MS Dhoni's return as captain.

"A torch has been lit as hope. The crowd that was leaving from this stadium when 24 or 25 runs per over were required will all return because the confidence has come due to Dhoni's return. The impossible word is in foolish people's dictionary. It's possible if MS Dhoni is there," he observed.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been leading CSK since last year, has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to a fracture in his elbow. MS Dhoni has taken over the leadership role in the top-order batter's absence.

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"They just need to try and make better use of Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh and Andre Russell" - Aakash Chopra on KKR ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs CSK

Rinku Singh batted at No. 8 in KKR's previous game against LSG. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has opined that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) need to utilize Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh and Andre Russell better in their IPL 2025 clash against the Chennai Super Kings.

"KKR doesn't need to make too many changes. They just need to try and make better use of Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. They at least sent Venkatesh Iyer up the order in the last match, which was nice and understandable, but then they sent Ramandeep up the order and moved Rinku down the order," he said (4:30) in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra'.

The cricketer-turned-analyst reckoned that KKR are a better side than CSK and pointed out that they have won two of their three IPL trophies at Chepauk.

"You can utilize the excellent resources you have better, or else the team is good. Let's be fair, if we do man-to-man marking, the Kolkata team looks better than Chennai. They won the tournament here only last time. Out of the three trophies, they have won two finals on this ground," Chopra observed.

KKR beat CSK by five wickets in Chennai in the IPL 2012 final. They thrashed the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the summit clash at the same venue last season.