National T20 Cup, 2019: Match 2, Central Punjab vs Sindh – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 2nd match of the National T20 Cup 2019 will be played between Central Punjab and Sindh at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

The match starts at 5:30 PM local time (6:00 PM IST) (12:30 PM GMT)

Preview:

Central Punjab will face Sindh in the 2nd game of the National T20 Cup 2019 shortly after Balochistan-Khyber game at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The two sides which will be on the field in the evening game has national stars in their ranks. Central Punjab is led by the current No.1 ranked T20I batsman Babar Azam. They have the Akmal brothers – Kamran and Umar in their squad.

Central Punjab also has Salman Butt, Ahmed Shehzad and Fahim Ashraf in their line-up. On the other hand, the Sindh team will be led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has received backlash from own country due to their recent failures in all formats. The Sindh team has the notable likes of Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hasnain and Abid Ali on whom the responsibility relies.

Weather Condition/Report:

Faisalabad’s weather forecast for Sunday indicates no chances of rain in the night. Compared to the afternoon, we might see a reduction in temperatures here and also an increase in the chances of dew.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The totals by the teams batting first increase during the night matches but the chasing teams fail to achieve the targets more often. It is because about 60 overs of play will already be completed on the pitch they would be chasing. Hence, 160+ totals could be tricky to chase during night matches.

Average first innings score: 167 (Last 5 night T20 games)

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

Injury and Availability News:

Hasan Ali’s participation is subjected to fitness.

Probable Playing XIs:

Central Punjab:

Kamran Akmal (WK), Salman Butt, Babar Azam (C), Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Bilal Asif, Fahim Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Zafar Gohar, Saad Naseem, Usman Qadir

Bench:  Hasan Ali, Ahmad Bashir, Ali Shan, Waqas Maqsood, Rizwan Hussain.

Sindh:

Abid Ali, Khurram Manzoor, Asad Shafiq, Saad Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C & WK), Fawad Alam, Anwar Ali, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Hasnain, Saud Shakeel Ahsan Ali, Sohail Khan.

Bench:  Omair Bin Yousuf, Mirza Ahsan Jameel, Waleed Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti.

Top Picks:

Kamran Akmal has produced great performances across all formats in the last couple of years. He has done well in the first-class tournament recently and would be hoping to continue that form. Naseem Shah is an exciting young prospect from Pakistan and will be hoping to show his bowling skills if he gets a chance. Saad Ali averaged 91.5 with the bat in the last season where he scored 183 runs across four innings.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Babar Azam, Kamran Akmal, Khurram Manzoor, Asad Shafiq

Vice-Captain – Ahmed Shehzad, Fahim Ashraf, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hasnain

Babar Azam and Kamran Akmal will be perfect options as captain or vice-captain.

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Kamran Akmal

Batsmen – Babar Azam (C), Saad Ali, Abid Ali

All-Rounders – Bilal Asif, Fahim Ashraf, Asad Shafiq (VC), Anwar Ali

Bowlers – Zafar Gohar, Mohammad Hasnain, Mir Hamza

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Kamran Akmal (VC)

Batsmen – Babar Azam, Abid Ali (C), Khurram Manzoor

All-Rounders – Saud Shakeel, Bilal Asif, Fahim Ashraf, Asad Shafiq

Bowlers – Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Sohail Khan

Expert Advice:

Babar Azam’s poor performances in the 3-match T20I series against Sri Lanka might not make any statement regarding his form. The Pakistan batsman was the top run-getter in the T20 Blast which was completed only a month ago. Sri Lanka is Babar’s toughest opponent in T20Is as he averages less than 20 against them. He has a batting average of 45 against remaining six sides.

Probable Winners:

Central Punjab is likely to edge past Sindh to register their first 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.