National T20 Cup, 2019: Match 1, Balochistan vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 1st match of the National T20 Cup 2019 will be played between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

The match starts at 1:30 PM local time (2:00 PM IST) (8:30 AM GMT)

Preview:

Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa clash off in the opening match of the National T20 Cup 2019 in Faisalabad. As many as 8 teams will participate in this Pakistan T20 tournament with two matches every day. The Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad will be hosting all the games. Balochistan will be led by Haris Sohail who is fresh of a half-century in the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka which Pakistan lost by 0-3 margin.

He will be having the likes of Yasir Shah, Hussain Talat and Umar Gul who have been the notable names in the T20 circuit recently. On the other hand, the keeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan will be leading the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team. The team looks a formidable one with the likes of Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman at the top and the left-arm pacers Junaid Khan and Usman Shinwari sharing the new ball.

Weather Condition/Report:

Faisalabad is expected to have sunny weather for the tournament opener. The skies will be clear throughout the day without any equation of rain.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The teams chasing tend to have a good record during the afternoon games at this venue. The fresh pitches here in Faisalabad might not allow the batsmen to attack straight away. Anything around 180 will be a winning total on most occasions.

Average first innings score: 164 (Last five afternoon T20 games)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 3, Lost – 2

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Probable Playing XIs:

Balochistan:

Imran Farhat, Imam-ul-Haq, Hussain Talat, Haris Sohail (C), Awais Zia, Bismillah Khan (WK), Amad Butt, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Talha, Umar Gul, Yasir Shah.

Bench: Akif Javed, Ali Shafiq, Imran Butt, Shahbaz Khan, Taimur Khan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:

Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, M Rizwan (C & WK), Adil Amin, Mohammad Mohsin, Khushdil Shah, Zohaib Khan, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan JR, Usman Shinwari.

Bench:  Israrullah, Umer Khan, Musaddiq Ahmed, Mohammad Ilyas, Irfanullah Shah.

Top Picks:

Amad Butt bagged as many as 16 wickets during the last year’s National T20 Cup across nine games at an impressive average of 12.06. Hussain Talat will be looking to make a mark with his all-round performances to make a return to Pakistan’s T20I setup after their recent debacle. Awais Zia scored 237 runs with help of fifty in the previous edition.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Hussain Talat, Haris Sohail, Awais Zia, Sahibzada Farhan

Vice-Captain – Fakhar Zaman, M Rizwan, Amad Butt, Mohammad Mohsin

Haris Sohail will be a reliable option considering his promotion as captain.

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – M Rizwan (VC)

Batsmen – Sahibzada Farhan, Awais Zia, Haris Sohail (C)

All-Rounders – Hussain Talat, Amad Butt, Mohammad Mohsin, Khushdil Shah

Bowlers – Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asghar

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper –  Imran Butt

Batsmen – Sahibzada Farhan (VC), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail

All-Rounders – Hussain Talat (C), Amad Butt, Mohammad Mohsin, Khushdil Shah

Bowlers – Usman Shinwari, Imran Khan JR, Mohammad Asghar

Expert Advice:

A lot of Pakistan International players are available for this game and all are of at least 9 credits. Hence, few of them have to be ignored such as Fakhar Zaman and Yasir Shah who have been in poor form of late. However, there is a chance of them excelling at the same time but it is a worthy gamble.

Probable Winners:

Balochistan has players who are in form and is expected to begin with a win.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.