National T20 Cup 2021: Match 3, Sindh vs Southern Punjab (Pakistan) - Preview, predicted XIs, pitch report, weather forecast, match prediction and live streaming details
Sindh and Southern Punjab (Pakistan) will lock horns in Match No. 3 of the National T20 Cup 2021 on Friday, September 24, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Sindh, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, had a decent outing in the previous edition of the National T20 Cup. The team qualified for the semis after finishing third in the points table with five wins and as many losses. In the semi-final, they faced defeat at the hands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khurram Manzoor’s 74 and Danish Aziz’s 39 lifted Sindh to a respectable score of 142. But the bowlers crumbled under pressure as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chased the target down in 14.5 overs. Sindh will be looking for a more consistent show in the upcoming edition of the league.
Southern Punjab, on the other hand, managed to qualify for the semi-finals with four wins from 10 encounters. Central Punjab and Balochistan also had eight points to their name, but Southern Punjab edged them out on the basis of a superior net run rate.
In the semis, they beat Northern by seven wickets and gave Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a run for their money in the final. Southern Punjab lost the final by 10 runs after failing to chase down 207.
Match Details
Match: Sindh vs Southern Punjab (Pakistan), Match 3, National T20 Cup 2021.
Date: September 23, 2021, Friday.
Time: 3:30 PM IST.
Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Weather Report
Conditions will be warm and sunny with no chance of rain. The temperature will be around the 28-degree Celsius mark. The humidity is expected to be in the 50s.
Pitch Report
The pitch is expected to be a good for one batting. The spinners are likely to come into play and may get assistance from the surface. Batting second should be the preferred option for teams.
Predicted Playing XIs
Sindh
Khurram Manzoor and Sharjeel Khan form a strong opening pair for Sindh. Manzoor was their leading run-scorer last season, scoring 408 runs at an average of 37.09. Mohammad Hasnain and Anwar Ali were their top wicket-takers last season. The focus will also be on Shahnawaz Dahani.
Predicted XI
Khurram Manzoor, Sharjeel Khan, Ahsan Ali, Shan Masood, Danish Aziz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C and WK), Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Zahid Mahmood, Shahnawaz Dahani, Rumman Raees
Southern Punjab (Pakistan)
Sohaib Maqsood and Khushdil Shah were outstanding performers for Southern Punjab last season. Maqsood top-scored for them with 393 runs at a strike-rate of 167.94. Shah also did his bit by scoring 362 runs. Mohammad Ilyas, Dilbar Hussain, Naseem Shah and others need to step up.
Predicted XI
Zeeshan Ashraf, Sohaib Maqsood (C), Azam Khan (WK), Agha Salman, Hassan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Imran, Dilbar Hussain, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ilyas
Match Prediction
Sindh have an exceptional batting lineup that performed well last season. Southern Punjab’s bowling doesn’t have a lot of depth and Sindh can thus have a good day at the office. Sindh are slight favorites for the win.
TV and live streaming details
TV: N/A.
Live Streaming: Cricket Pakistan’s YouTube channel