KKR vs CSK: Decoding Shane Watson's performance against Sunil Narine
After returning to winning ways, the Chennai Super Kings are set to lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders. Both the franchises have won a couple of games so far. Meanwhile, Shane Watson, who scored a brilliant 83* against KXIP, will aim to continue his run. However, he has been a bunny of KKR's Sunil Narine in the IPL. We analyze Watson's performance against Narine.
Stats that matter
In the IPL, Watson has tallied 3,710 runs from 135 innings at an average of 31.17. He also has four tons to his name. On the other hand, Narine owns 124 wickets in 114 matches, including a best match haul of 5/19. Thus far, Watson has managed to score 29 runs off 28 balls by Narine, while Narine has dismissed him four times.
Watson has a decent record against KKR
Watson has fared well against KKR in the tournament. As of now, the CSK opener has aggregated 439 runs from 15 innings at an average of 31.35 against them. Notably, his strike-rate reads 147.81. Watson also owns an IPL ton (104*) against KKR.
A strike-rate of 145.45 in powerplay overs (vs KKR)
Ever since Watson joined the CSK contingent, he has been the nucleus of their top-order. His salubrious starts usually set the foundation for the lower-order batsmen. Against KKR, he owns a total of 192 runs from 10 matches in the power-play. Meanwhile, his strike-rate notches up to 145.45 (power-play). Considering this, KKR will likely introduce Narine in the first six.
What to expect?
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium will host the upcoming match between KKR and CSK. This will be KKR's third game in Abu Dhabi. Notably, Narine has bowled inside the power-play in two of their four matches. He could also bowl the first over straight up as Watson clearly struggles against him. However, Watson would want to make the most of his blazing form.
