T10 League 2018: Match 5, Maratha Arabians vs Punjabi Legends, Match Prediction: Who will win the Match?

Things are progressing forward at a rapid pace in the T10 League 2018. Being just a 20-overs game, it only takes around 90-120 minutes for a game to yield a result. Hence, there are three games played on the second day of the league following up a doubleheader on the first day. In the third game, the Maratha Arabians will play against the Punjabi Legends. This will be the first game of the season for both these teams. While Rashid Khan will lead the Arabians, it would be Luke Ronchi at the helm for the Legends.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch at Sharjah is made for the batsmen. We witnessed Rajputs chase down 95 in just four overs in the first game. It isn’t the ideal place to be a bowler and extremely disciplined bowling is the need of the hour. The humidity on Thursday is slightly on the higher side. However, there will be good winds blowing around with a temperature of nearly 30C during the night.

Team Combinations

Maratha Arabians

Alex Hales opens the innings for the side along with Afghan sensation Hazratullah Zazai. S Badrinath could be playing in at three. James Vince and Brendan Taylor follow him in the middle order. Kamran Akmal is expected to don the gloves. Roelof van der Merwe, DJ Bravo and James Faulkner will be the all-rounders in the side. Skipper Rashid Khan can come in handy with the bat lower down the order if required. Amir Hayat will be the other bowler in the XI.

Predicted XI: Alex Hales, Hazratullah Zazai, S Badrinath, James Vince, Kamran Akmal (wk), Brendan Taylor, Roelof van der Merwe, DJ Bravo, Rashid Khan (C), James Faulkner, Amir Hayat.

Punjabi Legends

The Punjabi Legends seem to be top heavy. Luke Ronchi, Evin Lewis, Shaiman Anwar and Umar Akmal will have to shoulder a majority of the batting responsibility. Tom Moores can also deliver with the bat. The side’s bowling line-up looks good with some experienced T20 campaigners. Zahir Khan could be the X-factor in the bowling attack for his team.

Predicted XI: Luke Ronchi (c & wk), Evin Lewis, Shaiman Anwar, Umar Akmal, Tom Moores, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Jade Dernbach, Praveen Kumar, Mitchell McClenaghan, Zahir Khan.

Probable Top Performers

Alex Hales – Maratha Arabians | Evin Lewis – Punjabi Legends

Broadcast Details

TV – Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD

Live Streaming – Sony LIV

Match Timings – 21:30 IST; 20:00 local

The prediction is for Maratha Arabians to win this encounter as their team looks more balanced on paper.

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