T10 League: Day 1: Sindhis vs Rajputs & Kerala Knights vs Pakhtoons - Preview and Probable Playing XI
The second edition of the T10 Cricket League gets underway today at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Sindhis take on Rajputs at 20:00 IST in the first match of the season and then Kerala Knights lock horns with Pakhtoons at 22:15 IST.
With plenty of star players from across the globe, the stage is set for riveting action in the most recent and shortest format of the game.
Match 1: Sindhis vs Rajputs
Led by former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, the Sindhis boast of strong firepower in their batting arsenal. From their stints in the recently completed Afghanistan Premier League, the likes of Anton Devcich and Ben Cutting also have prior experience of playing at Sharjah.
In Brendon McCullum and Mohammad Shahzad, the Rajputs possess one of the most dangerous opening combinations in the tournament. Samit Patel and Carlos Brathwaite lend enormous depth to the playing lineup by imparting their all-round skills.
Sindhis Probable Playing XI: Shane Watson (c), Anton Devcich, Joe Clarke, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Samiullah Shenwari, Thisara Perera, Ben Cutting, Jofra Archer, Isuru Udana, Fawad Ahmed and Pravin Tambe
Rajputs Probable Playing XI: Brendon McCullum (c), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Ben Dunk, Laurie Evans, Samit Patel, Karim Janat, Carlos Brathwaite, Sayed Shirzad, Tymal Mills, Qais Ahmad and Munaf Patel
Match 2: Kerala Knights vs Pakhtoons
With current England skipper Eoin Morgan at the helm of affairs, Kerala Knights are well-served in the leadership department. Their bowling attack contains wily seamers like Sohail Tanvir and Wayne Parnell. Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane could prove to a handful for opposition batsmen.
Although his best days are behind him, the short nature of the format could be advantageous to Shahid Afridi. The Pakhtoons skipper will be hoping to make a mark early in the tournament. It will be interesting to see if former Indian seamer RP Singh can still swing the ball under lights. The Pakistan duo of Sohail Khan and Mohammad Irfan should bolster the bowling unit.
Kerala Knights Probable Playing XI: Paul Stirling, Upul Tharanga, Eoin Morgan (c), Kieron Pollard, Abdul Shakoor (wk), Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Sohail Tanvir, Fabian Allen, Wayne Parnell, Sandeep Lamichhane and Mohammad Naveed
Pakhtoons Probable Playing XI: Cameron Delport, Andre Fletcher (wk), Colin Ingram, Chadwick Walton, Shahid Afridi (c), David Willey, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Sohail Khan, RP Singh and Mohammad Irfan