T10 League: Day 2 - Preview and Probable Playing XI: Bengal Tigers vs Northern Warriors; Sindhis vs Kerala Knights & Maratha Arabians vs Punjabi Legends
The second day's action (November 22) will see as many as three matches taking place in the 2018 edition of the T10 Cricket League. Bengal Tigers take on Northern Warriors at 17:00 IST. Sindhis square off against Kerala Knights at 19:15 IST. Maratha Arabians and Punjabi Legends clash against each other at 21:30 IST.
There are quite a few Indian stars who will be among the major attractions at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The likes of Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Subramaniam Badrinath can be expected to step into the arena on Thursday.
Match 3: Bengal Tigers vs Northern Warriors
Bengal Tigers are led by young England batsman Sam Billings. The presence of Jason Roy, who is in the form of his life, should keep opposition bowlers on their toes. Sunil Narine, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman as good as any spin combination in white-ball cricket.
Northern Warriors possess a heavy Caribbean presence in their squad. Under Darren Sammy's leadership, the likes of Rovman Powell, Khary Pierre and Nicholas Pooran should flourish. If Andre Russell gets going, there could be plenty of fireworks.
Bengal Tigers Probable Playing XI: Sam Billings (c), Jason Roy, Luke Wright, Riki Wessels (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Nabi, Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper, Zaheer Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Morne Morkel
Northern Warriors Probable Playing XI: Dwayne Smith, Lendl Simmons, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ravi Bopara, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Darren Sammy (c), Khary Pierre, Harry Gurney, Wahab Riaz and Hardus Viljoen
Match 4: Sindhis vs Kerala Knights
Seam all-rounders Thisara Perera and Ben Cutting provide depth to the Sindhis lineup. If one of the openers get on a roll, the hard-hitters in the middle-order could be pushed forward. Sri Lanka's left-arm seamer Isuru Udana can be quite effective on these sluggish pitches. Fawad Ahmed's enticing leg-spin is another tantalising option.
It remains to be seen if former Pakistan batsman Imran Nazir recaptures his rhythm of the past. Kieron Pollard becomes even dangerous as the format shortens to ten overs per side. The Knights' bowling attack looks slightly underwhelming and can come unstuck in the end overs.
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 Ahmed Raza
Kerala Knights Probable Playing XI: Paul Stirling, Imran Nazir, Eoin Morgan (c), Kieron Pollard, Abdul Shakoor (wk), Tom Curran, Sohail Tanvir, Fabian Allen, Wayne Parnell, Sandeep Lamichhane and Mohammad Naveed
Match 5: Maratha Arabians vs Punjabi Legends
Afghanistan star Rashid Khan headlines a formidable Maratha Arabians lineup. While the skipper himself leads the spin attack, Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga offers a quality pace option. With not much firepower in the middle-order, the all-round hitters have to rise to the occasion.
With erstwhile New Zealand gloveman Luke Ronchi at the helm of affairs, the Punjabi Legends appear as a genuine title contender. Their batting lineup contains game-changers such as Evin Lewis and Umar Akmal. In Shoaib Malik, they have a dependable operator in the middle-order. While Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett offer substantial pace, Praveen Kumar's wiles complete a strong bowling attack.
Maratha Arabians Probable Playing XI: Kamran Akmal (wk), Alex Hales, Hazratullah Zazai, James Vince, Brendon Taylor, Subramaniam Badrinath, James Faulkner, Rashid Khan (c), Roelof van der Merwe, Zahoor Khan and Lasith Malinga
Punjabi Legends Probable Playing XI: Evin Lewis, Luke Ronchi (c) (wk), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shaiman Anwar, Anwar Ali, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Praveen Kumar, Mitchell McClenaghan and Zahir Khan