Had they been allowed to boast a line-up that looks unaltered from their group stage fixtures, KKR would have easily bagged the spot of hot favorites.
But with the absence of their key man who kept opponents under check, they would need more to claim their maiden Champions League title.
The confrontation that is to take place at Chinnaswamy Stadium today could prove much more balanced than it was in the previous encounter between the two.
Dhoni has won the toss Chennai will field first. The live scores can be followed on cricinfo.com here.
They had their clash in the finals only once before, that was when KKR clinched their maiden IPL title. And with their best ever performance in the CLT20 competition on cards, KKR would only want to keep aside the fact that Sunil Naraine won’t be there to repeat any magical spell.
Pat Cummins may fill the void in the line-up, but no one knows how good the replacement would be. Such was the prominence of Sunil Naraine in the squad.
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Chennai Super Kings went numb in the group stage fixtures thanks to his figures of 4-0-9-1. Sunil Naraine has to be stay away as his action is under suspicion.
Putting an end to the domestic T20 fixtures this year, the final would have its first ball delivered at 7:00 PM.
The 14-win streak stands as the backbone for KKR this season. But if there is any chance for them to be defeated, it could be at the hands of CSK in the finals.
Silencing Punjab Kings XI, Chennai rose in confidence after their opening fixtures. If they pull off their best, they could well enough put Gautam Gambhir’s dreams for a maiden CLT20 trophy into jeopardy.
But let’s not forget the thirst of KKR either. CSK had enjoyed success back in 2010, but for the current IPL champions, there is a point to be made in the global stage.
Jacques Kallis who guided KKR to the finals would look keen to pursue his match-winning knock, while it would be a matter of who would be the star for CSK, with the likes of Dwayne Bravo and Suresh Raina looking in sublime touch. Keep aside all those, a mesmerizing treat for the masses could sure be on the cards.
KKR vs CSK live score: