The Chennai Super Kings are on a roll with five wins out of six so far in Pepsi IPL 2015. Their next face-off will be at home against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, who have blown hot and cold with three wins from six matches – their last match against RR was abandoned due to rain. The current form of both teams says that CSK are firm favourites in Tuesday’s game. But the two teams have had some intense tussell in big games and Stephen Fleming knows what danger the defending champions pose. “They are an excellent side and we have had some good battles with them,” the CSK coach said ahead of the match. “We have played a couple of finals against them, the last one being the CLT20 last year. We have a healthy respect for their staff and their team. “There is a similarity in CSK and KKR in that both the teams identify the brand of cricket they want to play and find players who fit in. They are a real rounded squad this year with Morne Morkel and Andre Russell going well. They also have a good, aggressive captain.” Having enjoyed sustained success so far, CSK now have matches back to back home and away games with frequent travelling. According to Fleming, in this phase the team’s biggest challenge will be to keep the players fit and fresh. “We have to manage our players well in the next eight days with the travel-and-play scenario popping up,” he said. “We have identified it as a risky area and we may have to look at our bench strength.” Fleming said, a player who will receive special attention in this regards, is Ashish Nehra, their senior-most and best pace bowler in the tournament so far. “We are always monitoring Ashish Nehra. He is not in the early days of his career. Currently he is flying high and playing really well. But we will keep monitoring him, especially given his track record with fitness.” With the team looking to preserve the performers throughout the tournament and the bench coming in to picture, it is felt that Irfan Pathan can expect to get a game or two in the coming days. Fleming said the Indian seamer’s hamstring is close to being healed. “Irfan is very close to getting fit and now we have to get him match-fit, which is difficult in the middle of a tournament. We are at the stage of the tournament where we are well settled as to who we have been playing.”