T10 League 2018, Match 11, Kerala Knights vs Rajputs, Match Prediction: Who will win the Match?

Who will win the battle, Gayle or Shahzad?

Published - 24 Nov 2018, 17:52 IST | Updated - 24 Nov 2018, 17:52 IST

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The first round matches of the ongoing season the T10 League will come to an end with a double-header on Sunday. The opening game of the day will be played between the defending champions Kerala Knights and the Rajputs. Both the teams have won a game each and this will be the tussle to top the group A. Though there are no special incentives for topping the group, it will bolster their confidence going into the next round.

The Knights suffered a heavy batting collapse in their previous game and were struggling at 6/4 at one stage after which Wayne Parnell bailed them out of the trouble with a resilient half-century. They have the firepower to defeat any side on the given day. Eoin Morgan will also hope that the collapse was a minor blip in their campaign and bank on the batsmen including him to do the job.

The Rajputs, however, look heavily dependent on their openers Mohammad Shahzad and Brendon McCullum. The duo has respectively played well in the first two matches and the opposition bowlers will have a dreadful day when the duo gets going together. But the problem lies with the rest of the batters who failed to up the ante in the last game despite being 70/1 after four overs.

This is definitely a battle of heavyweights and records might tumble from both ends like the Nothern Warriors did the other day.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitches have continued to be a featherbed for the batsmen in this tournament. The bowlers will have to come up with better tactics to restrict the batters. The temperatures are on the cooler side in the evening these days in Sharjah and it will continue to be the same.

Team Combinations

Kerala Knights

Mohammad Naveed was taken apart for 28 runs in a single over in the last match but he can’t be dropped from the team as one UAE player in the line-up is mandatory. Morgan can prefer fielding the same team instead of making changes to the settled unit. Imran Nazir though might get a look in who is a fierce hitter of the ball and can form a brilliant opening partnership with Chris Gayle. But for that to happen a player like Paul Stirling, who can also bowl a bit, has to sit out which looks unlikely.

Probable XI: Chris Gayle, Paul Stirling/Imran Nazir, Eoin Morgan (c), Kieron Pollard, Fabian Allen, Upul Tharanga (wk), Wayne Parnell, Sohail Tanvir, Tom Curran, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mohammad Naveed.

Rajputs

The Rajputs failed to defend 121 in the previous outing and they might try a different bowler before going into the second round. Samit Patel who conceded 32 runs might make way for the Afghanistan leggie Qais Ahmad in his game while the rest of the line-up is likely to remain the same. Shahzad and McCullum will hold key again for them and the likes of Rilee Rossouw and Laurie Evans will be hoping to up the ante in the last few overs.

Probable XI: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Brendon McCullum (c), Rilee Rossouw, Laurie Evans, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dunk, Rohan Mustafa, Tymal Mills, Sayed Shirzad, Qais Ahmad, Munaf Patel.