National T20 Cup 2021 Final: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Central Punjab - Probable 11s, pitch report, weather forecast, match prediction and live streaming details
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab will clash in the final of the National T20 Cup 2021 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern in the first semi-final of the National T20 Cup 2021. It was another game set up by their bowlers, restricting Northern to 156-8. Arshad Iqbal was the pick of their bowlers, with three wickets to his name.
Sahibzada Farhan (53 runs), Kamran Ghulam (35 runs) and captain Iftikhar Ahmed (45*) ensured they got over the line. With a five-wicket win, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa entered the final of the National T20 Cup 2021.
Central Punjab, meanwhile, comfortably defeated Sindh in the second semi-final of the National T20 Cup 2021. They were given a target of 142 by Sindh. Punjab captain Wahab Riaz, Qasim Akram and Zafar Gohar chipped in with valuable wickets. The experienced duo of Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal then helped them scale down the total in just 17.5 overs with seven wickets to spare.
Both sides come into the final of the National T20 Cup 2021 with convincing wins, so this should be a cracking encounter.
Match Details
Match: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Central Punjab, Final, National T20 Cup 2021-22
Date and Time: October 13th 2021, Wednesday, 3:30 PM IST.
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast is clear for the entire duration of the game. Therefore, fans can expect a full contest without interruptions. The temperature could vary between 31 and 38 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The wicket has remained good for batting throughout all the games. Totals in the 160-run range have been chased down. So the team batting first should look to score at least above 190 in this game.
Probable Playing XIs
Central Punjab
Qasim Akram grabbed three wickets against Sindh, while Wahab Riaz and Zafar Gohar picked up two wickets apiece. Kamran Akmal scored a well-made 36-ball 51. Ahmed Shehzad played a key role with his knock of 49 runs as well.
Probable XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Muhammad Akhlaq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Hussain Talat, Qasim Akram, Saif Badar, Muhammad Faizan, Faheem Ashraf, Wahab Riaz (c), Zafar Gohar, Sameen Gul.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Arshad Iqbal picked up three wickets in the semi-final. Sahibzada Farhan scored a fifty, while Kamran Ghulam and Iftikhar Ahmed played crucial knocks. The team has done well with both bat and ball, and looks well ahead of the big clash.
Probable XI: Mohammad Haris (wk), Ahmed Mussadiq, Sahibzada Farhan, Iftikhar Ahmed (c), Kamran Ghulam, Nabi Gul, Asif Afridi, Mohammad Imran, Khalid Usman, Imran Khan, Arshad Iqbal.
Match Prediction
It is the final of the National T20 Cup between arguably two of the best sides in the tournament. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab have momentum coming into this all-important contest. Both sides have been consistent, and have played good cricket throughout the tournament to make it to the summit clash.
It will likely be a thrilling match as Wahab Riaz and Iftikhar Ahmed battle it out to lead their team to the National T20 Cup 2021 title on Wednesday.
TV and live streaming details
TV: N/A.
Live Streaming: Cricket Pakistan's YouTube channel.