3 top player battles to watch out for in Abu Dhabi T10 playoffs ft. Mohammad Amir vs Faf du Plessis
The Abu Dhabi T10 playoffs have started. Three matches of the playoffs round will take place today (December 8). The Qualifier 1 match between New York Strikers and Morrisville Samp Army is currently underway in the UAE, where the Strikers have raced to 76/2 in 6.4 overs.
Apart from Qualifier 1, fans will also witness Eliminator and Qualifier 2 of Abu Dhabi T10 tonight. The Eliminator match will take place between Deccan Gladiators and Bangla Tigers. The winner of the Eliminator will take on the loser of Qualifier 1 in the Qualifier 2 match of the playoffs.
There will be some exciting player battles during tonight's matches. Here's a list of the three clashes to watch out for in the Abu Dhabi T10 playoffs.
#1 Mohammad Amir (New York Strikers) vs Faf du Plessis (Morrisville Samp Army)
New York Strikers and Morrisville Samp Army were the two most impressive teams during the league round of the Abu Dhabi T10. The two franchises are up against each other in the Qualifier 1, with the winner earning a direct ticket to the final.
Morrisville Samp Army captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to field first in the crucial game. The Morrisville bowlers have done a decent job so far, keeping the Strikers down to 78/2 in seven overs. If the Strikers finish with a total of around 110-120, Faf du Plessis will have the onus of providing his team a solid start at the top.
Faf has scored 112 runs in six innings of the Abu Dhabi T10 2023. Although his average is less than 20, his strike rate has been close to 180. On the other hand, New York Strikers will hope that Mohammad Amir dismisses du Plessis early. Amir has scalped five wickets in six games of the tournament thus far, with his best figures being 4/7.
#2 Jordan Cox (Bangla Tigers) vs Nuwan Thushara (Deccan Gladiators)
Jordan Cox has had a memorable tournament in the UAE so far. The destructive batter has aggregated 265 runs in six innings. His average is more than 65, whereas his highest score is 90*. Bangla Tigers will rely on Cox in the batting department.
Meanwhile, Deccan Gladiators will rest their hopes on Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara, who has been a wicket-taking bowler for them in the Abu Dhabi T10 2023. Thushara has picked up nine wickets in six matches. His economy rate has been less than 10 runs per over.
#3 Daniel Sams (Bangla Tigers) vs Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Deccan Gladiators)
Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams is the leading wicket-taker for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 2023. The left-arm pacer has accounted for seven wickets in seven matches. In a recent league-stage match against Team Abu Dhabi, Sams returned with fantastic figures of 3/11.
While Sams will aim to take more wickets for his team, Deccan Gladiators will expect their English batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore to destroy him. Tom has scored 276 runs in seven matches of this competition. His strike rate has been 233.89. If he gets going in the Eliminator, the Gladiators will have a strong chance of playing Qualifier 2 as well.