APL 2018: Match 20, Kabul Zwanan vs Paktia Panthers, Match Prediction: Who will win the Match?

Both the teams have qualified for the semi-finals.

Published - 17 Oct 2018, 17:58 IST | Updated - 17 Oct 2018, 17:58 IST

View : 1.6K

2 Min Read

The league stage of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) will conclude with the game between Kabul Zwanan and Paktia Panthers. This game is a potential dead rubber as both the teams have qualified to the knockouts. But the result of the game will decide their opponents in the semi-finals which will be played on Friday and Saturday.

Rashid Khan starred in the team’s previous encounter and will be looking to play in the same vein. Kabul though is still struggling with their mediocre bowling which might cost the team in the upcoming crucial matches. The batting line-up is in good form though and the overseas contingent has played well consistently for them in all the games so far.

The Panthers had lost to the Zwanan in the first match of the season and they will definitely look to settle the scores ahead of the knockouts. Mohammad Shahzad has been in some great form for them who has led the side well and will be aware of not getting complacent. He would want his troops to give their 100 per cent irrespective of the scenario and look to win the inaugural title.

Pitch and Weather

The things will get cool a little bit as it is the second game. But the weather shouldn’t matter for the players having played at the venue over the last couple of weeks. Irrespective of the pitch, it will be a high-scoring game it seems as both the teams have some of the best hitters in the T20 format.

Team Combinations

Kabul Zwanan

Luke Ronchi and Hazratullah Zazai will open the innings for Kabul while the likes of Colin Ingram and Laurie Evans will follow in the middle-order. There could be a case for the skipper Rashid to bat up the order following his heroics with the bat against the Kandahar Knights. But he seems intent on coming at number 8 which sometimes affects the team’s score by a few runs.

Probable XI: Luke Ronchi (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Javed Ahmadi, Colin Ingram, Laurie Evans, Shahidullah Kamal, Rashid Khan (c), Younas Ahmadzai, Wayne Parnell, Fareed Ahmad, Muslim Musa/Zahir Shehzad

Paktia Panthers

The Panthers might mull over promoting Shahid Afridi to open the innings as everyone knows what happened the last time he did so in the T20 Blast. Calum MacLeod might also get a game in case the management is looking to rest some of the key players. Isuru Udana has been their best bowler and he will continue to play for them not to lose his rhythm.

Probable XI: Mohammad Shahzad (c & wk), Ihsanullah Janat, Cameron Delport/Calum MacLeod, Sikandar Raza, Samiullah Shenwari, Shahid Afridi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Isuru Udana, Ziaw Rahman, Yousuf Zazai