Finally, Cricket's one of the biggest festivals is here. Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will kickstart with the match between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and runner ups Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The match is scheduled for 26th March 2022 from 7:30 PM onwards.

Make your dream11 team prediction and IPL 2022 Fantasy League prediction with our fantasy cricket tips and suggestions. Get early updates, game previews, news, suggestion, prediction for your fantasy team in our exclusive section Fantasy Sports.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Everything you need to know about the covid situation ahead of the start

CSK vs KKR : 1st Match Preview

Match Details :-

Match: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Match 1
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Date & Time: 26th March 2022 at 7:30 pm (IST)
Where to Watch Live: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar, and JIO TV.

Pitch Report: CSK vs KKR : Match 1

Pitch Report: The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is a balanced pitch. The pacers have earned 67% of the total bowling fantasy points at this venue.

Head to Head Stats:

Matches Played: 25
Won by CSK: 16
Won by KKR: 08
No Result: 01

Read Also: The Best left-handed IPL eleven of all-time

Injury News:

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Deepak Chahar is injured and will miss the upcoming matches.

Team News: CSK vs KKR

Chennai Super Kings :

The defending champions are starting a new season against their last year's finalists Kolkata Knight Riders. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni has handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja just one day before the start of the big tournament. Jaddu will lead the side while MSD will play as a keeper-batsman. Moeen Ali has joined the team yesterday but he will be in quarantine during the first game and will join the team after the first game.

Ruturaj will be one of the crucial members of the side while his eye will be on T20 World Cup selection later this year. Csk's squad is looking good again as it fills up all the criteria including some young gun in the team

Also Read: Most centuries in IPL history

Kolkata Knight Riders :

The Kolkata Knight Riders have got their new skipper in the form of Shreyas Iyer, who has already led Delhi Capitals to the finals of IPL. The squad is looking equally strong to challenge the yellow army. Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch will miss the first 3-4 matches as they are on national duty. It means that both Narine and Russell will play while Sam Billings might get some matches as keeper-batsman. KKR might go with three overseas options as the main overseas players are not in the team.

CSK vs KKR: Match 1: Possible Playing XI

Chennai Super Kings :

Ruturaj Gaikwad
Devon Conway
Robin Uthappa
Ambati Rayudu
Ravindra Jadeja (C)
MS Dhoni (wk)
Shivam Dube
Dwayne Bravo
Tushar Deshpande
Chris Jordan
Adam Milne

Kolkata Knight Riders :

Venkatesh Iyer
Ajinkya Rahane
Nitish Rana
Shreyas Iyer (C)
Sam Billings (wk)
Andre Russell
Sunil Narine
Tim Southee
Shivam Mavi
Umesh Yadav
Varun Chakravarthy

Read Also: Most Sixes by Indians in the IPL

IPL Fantasy Cricket Dream11 Team Prediction : CSK vs KKR: Match 1:

Wicket-keeper: Sam Billings
Batters: Devon Conway, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer
Bowlers: Dwayne Bravo, Chris Jordan, Varun Chakravarthy

Captain: Andre Russell
Vice-Captain: Ravindra Jadeja
Other C/VC options: Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad

You must change your team if any of these players aren't announced in the starting lineup.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the captain of the India A team for the tour of England as the BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour starting from 30th May 2025. 

India A will play two first-class matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton. Then they will play a practice match against the senior Indian team to prepare them for the big series against England. 

Karun Nair was rewarded for his excellent domestic form as he made a return to the India A side. His performance for the A side might decide whether he will be given a chance for the senior team or not.

Abishek Porel, who was named in the last India A's tour to Australia, has been replaced by Ishan Kishan in the side.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who will be busy in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans, will join the squad from the second match. 

India A squad for the England tour

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

India A' schedule for the England tour

The bond of brothers is often strong, but when it extends to the cricket field, the results can be spectacular. We have witnessed such amazing pairs across the globe.

From Pandya brothers to Curran and Pathans, meet the cricket brothers who ruled world cricket. Read till the end to discover the pairs you didn't know about!

Pandya Brothers (Hardik Pandya & Krunal Pandya) | India

The Pandya brothers are currently the most popular pair from India, known for their hard-hitting capabilities with the bat, and surprise bowling impact on the team. They started their career playing for their home city, Baroda, and later made their way to Mumbai Indians in IPL.

Hardik Pandya made his International debut in 2016 for India, and has been an integral part of the team ever since. His heroic contributions under pressure is something the nation will never forget. He also led India as a captain in 16 T20 matches, winning 10 among them.

Krunal Pandya debuted for India in 2018, which was only 2 years after his IPL debut for MI. In 2021, he became the fastest Indian to score a ODI half century in a debut match. He scored it off just 26 balls against England.

Read Also: ICC Rankings: Hardik Pandya creates history by becoming first Indian player to be ranked No.1 all-rounder

Curran Brothers (Sam Curran & Tom Curran) | England 

The Curran Brothers are brilliant all-rounder pair from England. They both made their international debut at a young age and have evolved to be a popular name in the cricketing world.

Sam Curran is a key player for England, known for his brilliant transformation from bowling all-rounder to being equally aggressive with the bat. He was a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad in 2022. 

Tom Curran made his debut for England at the age of 22, and has served as an efficient bowling all-rounder for his nation. 

They also have another brother, Ben Curran, who currently plays for Zimbabwe national team.

Pathan Brothers (Yusuf and Irfan Pathan) | India

The Pathan brothers played for India and earned worldwide recognition. Both were a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad of India in 2007.

Yusuf Pathan is the elder one, known for his explosive batting, especially in the limit overs format. His six-hitting abilities and raw power has significant impact of teams.

Irfan Pathan's swing bowling and batting contributions made him a fan favourite. He played as a vital all-rounder for India, especially during memorable victories.

Read Also: Yusuf Pathan wants his son to get inspired by him and play for India

Morkel Brothers (Albie Morkel & Morne Morkel) | South Africa 

The Morkel brothers represented South Africa and were one of the finest cricketers who played a major role behind the team's success. They became the first brothers in 56 years to be named as South African Cricket Annual cricketer of the year in the same season, in 2008.

Albie Morkel is the older brother, who played as a batting all-rounder, contributing by his powerful hitting. 

Morne Morkel is a tall right-arm fast bowler, whose ability to generate pace and bounce made him an integral bowler in the bowling attack. He is currently the bowling coach of Indian Cricket Team, since 2024.

Chahar Brothers (Deepak & Rahul Chahar) | India

The Chahar brothers are another pair of brothers who represents India in both ODI and T20 formats. 

Deepak Chahar is the older one, who is a right-arm medium bowler and can also contribute with the bat. He took 6 wickets for 7 runs against Bangladesh in 2019, which is the best bowling figures in T20Is for India.

Rahul Chahar is the younger one, who is a right-arm leg-breal bowler. He made his IPL debut at only 17 years of age and strengthened the spin unit of his team.

Read Also: IPL facts: Every player to make IPL debut before turning 18

Hussey Brothers (Michael Hussey & David Hussey) | Australia 

The Hussey brothers are another extremely popular pair in the world of cricket, hailing from Australia. They dominated the field with their batting power and consistency.

Michael Hussey was given the nickname "Mr. Cricket" because of his strong performances across all formats. He is one of the batting legends of the Australian team, having a highly successful career.

David Hussey is the younger brother who was more prominent in ODIs and T20Is than in Tests. He usually played as a right-handed batter, occasionally bowling off-break for the team.

Akmal Brothers (Karman Akmal & Umar Akmal) | Pakistan

The Akmal brothers played major roles representing Pakistan in International Cricket. They are basically a trip of cricketers, and all of them has played for the national team. 

Karman Akmal is the eldest, who played as a wicket-keeper batsman. He has stuck with the team for a long time and was also am integral part of Pakistan's winning squad in the 2019 T20 World Cup.

Umar Akmal is known for his aggressive batting style who is also a popular name in the history of cricket in Pakistan.

As mentioned above, they are a trio, and Adnan Akmal is the youngest one among them. He also represented Pakistan in Tests and ODIs.

The cricketing bloodline flows through their family, as they are also the cousins of Pakistan's former captain Babar Azam.

Marsh Brothers (Shaun Marsh & Mitchell Marsh) | Australia 

The Marsh brothers are Australian brother pair, representing their country at the highest level. They became the third pair to score a century in the same test innings for Australia, in 2017-18 Ashes series against England. 

Shaun Marsh is the elder one, who played as a top-order batter for his country. He also became the highest run-scorer in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, and holds the record for highest individual score by an uncapped overseas player (115*) in IPL history.

Mitchell Marsh is an all-rounder, who strengthens the middle order of the team, but also has the ability to come early and give a good start. He scored 177* runs against Bangladesh in 2023, which is the third highest individual score by Australian in ODI World Cup.

Bravo Brothers (Dwayne Bravo & Darren Bravo) | West Indies 

The Bravo Brothers are notable pair of cricket stars from West Indies. They are half brothers as they share the same father but different mothers.

Dwayne Bravo is a key player for West Indies cricket team, who is an all-rounder, known for his dynamic bowling and aggressive batting. He is among the most successful T20 players globally. Dwayne as been a part of the team in memorable winning ICC tournaments.

Darren Bravo is the younger one, who also represented West Indies in international cricket as a left-handed batsman. He majorly played in ODI cricket and Tests, and was less prominent in T20s.

McCullum Brothers (Nathan McCullum & Brendon McCullum) | New Zealand 

The McCullum brothers are a popular pair in the history of New Zealand cricket. They have a strong sporting family background.

Nathan McCullum played as a off-break bowler and was a useful lower-order batsman. He was a part of the New Zealand squad that reached the World Cup final in 2015.

Brendon McCullum is regarded as one or the most influential cricketers. He is a wicket-keeper batsman, known for his aggressive batting and quick run scoring abilities. He holds the record for fastest test century by scoring one off 54 balls in 2016.

Lee brothers (Brett Lee & Shane Lee) | Australia 

The Lee brothers are a pair of cricket brothers who represented Australia.

Shane Lee is the elder one and all-rounder, who was was in the World Cup winning Australia squad of 1999. He played 45 ODIs and retired in the age of 29 due to knee injury.

Brett Lee is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket. He played for Australia in all three formats and was a dominant bowler. Lee holds the record for second-most wickets taken by an Australian in ODIs.

Waugh Brothers (Steve Waugh & Mark Waugh) | Australia 

The Waugh brothers are iconic figures of Australiam cricket. They are identical twins and both played at the highest level.

Steve Waugh is regarded as one of the greatest captains in cricket history. He is often nicknamed as "Tugga." He is Australia's most capped test player and holds 16 consecutive test wins and other batting records.

Mark Waugh is nicknamed as "Junior," and was known for his elegant style of play. He played as a top-order batsman for the team, and was an integral part throughout 1990s and early 2000s.

Read Also: Most successful Test captains from India

Flower Brothers (Andu Flower & Grant Flower) | Zimbabwe 

The Flower brothers are most celebrated sibling pair from Zimbabwe cricket team. They formed the backbone of the team's batting line-up.

Andy Flower is Zimbabwe's greatest cricketer and one of the finest wicketkeeper batsman. He holds numerous batting records and have captained, as well as coached the Zimbabwe national team.

Grant Flower is the younger brother, played as the opening batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler. He contributed brilliantly with the bat, forming crucial partnerships with his brother. 

The journey of successful Indian captains have been remarkable over the years. The nation has got exceptional leaders who shaped the landscape of Test cricket for India. 

It is now time to look back at those victories brought to us by the Indian team under such efficient captains. Here are the most successful Test captains from India.

1. Virat Kohli (40 wins)

Virat Kohli is considered to be the most successful Test captain India could ever get! He had a stellar career as a captain from 2014 to 2022. Under his captaincy, India became aggressively dominant in home and held a streak of never losing or drawing a single home series.

Kohli secured 40 wins out of 68 tests, which is the highest as an Indian captain. He also holds the record for most double centuries by an Indian in Test cricket, with a total of 7 double centuries.

India has had several quality test batters, but there is no other captain who could match King Kohli's legacy.

Virat Kohli's test stats as captain:

Read Also: Virat Kohli became the Test captain on this very day; a look at Kohli's legacy as Test captain

2. MS Dhoni (27 wins)

MS Dhoni served as a Test captain for six years for India, and had a stellar career. He holds the record for most number of sixes by an Indian captain, which is 51 in number.

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won 27 tests out of 60, having a win percentage of 45%.

Dhoni's test stats as captain:

3. Sourav Ganguly (21 wins)

Sourav Ganguly, who is widely known for his contributions as a player and captain for the Indian team, is a prominent name in this list of most successful Test captains from India.

Dada was the Indian test captain from 2000-2005 and won 21 tests out of 49 played. He also holds the 2nd position for record most wins as a test captain overseas, winning 11 out of 28 matches.

Sourav Ganguly's test stats as captain:

Read Also: Most Runs for India in Pink Ball Test

4. Mohammad Azharuddin (14 wins)

Mohammad Azharuddin is another big name to be mentioned when it comes to Test cricket captaincy for India. He served as a captain for 9 years, winning 14 matches out of 47.

Azharuddin mostly enjoyed dominating in home soil and sealing crucial victories for the team. 

Mohammad Azharuddin's test stats as captain:

5. Rohit Sharma (12 wins)

Rohit Sharma is another name for one of the most successful Test captains from India who led to 10+ victories for the team. He is the 5th captain to do so. He was also one of the most impactful opener for India in tests.

Even though Rohit's captaincy tenure was short-lived, as he decided to retire from test format on 7th May, 2025, he still managed to be on top with 12 wins in 24 matches.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma stats in Tests: Is Rohit the greatest test opener since Virender Sehwag?

Rohit Sharma'r test stats as captain 

"Catches win matches" is a well-known proverb that is crucial in terms of cricket. Having exceptional fielders who would get to any extent to grab match-winning catches is a blessing for teams.

IPL has witnessed some unbelievably good fielding efforts from players across the globe. Here's the ones that stood out for their consistency, having the most catches in IPL history.

Virat Kohli (117 catches)

Virat Kohli is one of the fittest athletes in the world and is also considered as an expectional fielder for India. He always lits up the stadium with his energy and agility while fielding for his team.

Kohli has taken a total of 117 catches in 263 matches so far, which is the highest in IPL history. He is barely seen missing or letting the ball go off his hand.

His contributions in aspect of taking catches remains hard to beat, and hopefully there are more to come in the upcoming matches in IPL for RCB.

Read Also: Most Sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL

Suresh Raina (109 catches)

Suresh Raina's contribution in IPL goes beyond his batting performance. He has taken 109 catches in 205 matches for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions.

Raina ended his IPL journey in 2021 and still his second place in the list of most catches stays unbeaten. He is among the top Indian fielders who took some match-winning catches.

Ravindra Jadeja (108 catches)

Ravindra Jadeja is one name that everyone anticipates when it comes to the category of fielding and catching. His quick reflexes and fielding abilities made him one of the best fielders in the history of not only IPL, but also Indian cricket. 

Jadeja has taken 108 catches in 251 matches for CSK, GL, KTK, and RR. He consistently worked towards taking important wickets for the team and saving boundaries when needed. 

Jadeja also played a crucial role in CSK's success over the years.

Kieron Pollard (103 catches)

Kieron Pollard has served as a fielding pillar for Mumbai Indians throughout his IPL career. He often changed the course of the game in favour of his team by taking difficult catches.

Pollard has taken 103 catches in 189 matches for MI, and some of them were too good to be true! His athleticism proved to be beneficial everytime he is on field, specially near the boundary.

Read Also: Cricket Stats: most catches by a keeper in tests

Rohit Sharma (102 catches)

Rohit Sharma is another Indian player having a catch count of more than hundred in IPL. He has taken 103 catches in 267 matches for MI and DCH. He has proved to be a dependable fielder for his team throughout.

Rohit's game awareness and experience played a crucial role in his fielding, which also aligned with the field setup and his captaincy. He is the 5th player to have 100+ catches in IPL history.

Some IPL innings leave you speechless. The talented players in this tournament have taken the stage to another level with their explosive batting over the years.

Check out the entire article to know some names that will definitely shock you.

10. Suresh Raina (2014) | 16 balls

Suresh Raina is one of the players to score the fastest half-century in the early seasons of IPL. He took only 16 balls to reach his fifty, making it look super easy for the fans.

Raina was the opening batter for CSK and scored this in a match against PBKS in IPL 2024. The endless boundaries that came off his bat in this inning is hard to forget!

Other players who scored a century from 16 balls:

• Ishan Kishan (MI) - 2021
• Abhishek Sharma (SRH) - 2024
• Travis Head (SRH)- 2024

9 & 8. Jake Fraser-McGurk (2024) | 15 balls

Jake Fraser-McGurk, who played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, stunned the spectators with his back-to-back fastest fifties in 2 matches. He scored both the fifties off 15 balls which is quite astonishing as it was his debut season.

McGurk’s consecutive fifties secured both the 9th and 8th position in top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.

He proved to be highly impactful for DC and these half centuries against MI and SRH made him more impressive. Moreover, he smashed 330 runs in 9 matches with a strike rate above 200.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

7. Nicholas Pooran (2023) | 15 balls

The West Indies power-hitter, Nicholas Pooran, put up a shower of boundaries during his fastest fifty of IPL career from just 15 balls. He scored 62 runs (off 19 balls) in his knock, hitting 7 sixes and 4 fours.

Pooran had a strike rate of 326.32 which says a lot about the kind of mindset and form he was in during the match of LSG vs RCB. 

6. Sunil Narine (2017) | 15 balls

This superstar from the West Indies has never failed to amaze us, be it with the ball or bat. Sunil Narine showcased his exceptional batting skills with this 15-ball half century in IPL 2017.

Narine has played several crucial knocks for KKR in the history of IPL, but with this one, he proved how he is equally capable with the bat and can do wonders.

5. Yusuf Pathan (2014) | 15 balls

Yusuf Pathan scored a sensational fifty against SRH off 15 balls in IPL 2014. He single-handedly took the game home for KKR with his 72 runs off just 22 balls in this inning, with a strike rate above 300.

It shows that KKR indeed had some fearless power-hitters in their team throughout IPL history. 

Read Also: IPL Facts: Fastest Century in IPL History

4. Romario Shepherd (2025) | 14 balls

Romario Shepherd became the only batter in IPL 2025 to score a fifty so fast that could make its way to the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL. He helped RCB reach a 200+ total during the first inning against CSK, which was enough to be a defendable total.

Shepherd hit 6 sixes and 4 fours to score 53* off 14 balls. He was also given player of the match award for his spectacular knock.

3. Pat Cummins (2022) | 14 balls

Here comes a surprising half-century from the Australian all-rounder, Pat Cummins, who scored 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. He helped to seal the victory for his team against MI by 5 wickets (24 balls left). 

Cummins unveiled his boundary-hitting capabilities with 4 fours and 6 sixes, leaving the fans shocked. It is considered to be one of the finest knocks in IPL where he truly showcased his batting skills when needed.

2. KL Rahul (2018) | 14 balls

KL Rahul, who is now known for his calm and composed batting style, holds the second position in the list of top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history. Quite shocking, isn't it?

This was back in IPL 2018 when Rahul showed no mercy to the bowlers of Delhi Capitals with his magnificent fifty off just 14 balls.

He was the opening batter of PBKS, who kept the fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning of the inning.

Read Also: IPL Records: Youngest Half-centurions in IPL History

Yashasvi Jaiswal (2023) | 13 balls

An all-time shocker of an innings from Yashasvi Jaiswal, which remains unmatched till date! He scored fifty off 13 balls, making it the fastest half-century in IPL history.

Jaiswal scored a total of 98 runs (from 47 balls) in this match against KKR and led Rajasthan Royals to victory. He hit the ball out of the boundary line in every direction possible, and was barely seen running between the wickets.

This performance goes down the history of unbelievable knocks in IPL.