KNT vs SSR Match Preview
Despite having a good squad, the Khulna Tigers have been rather inconsistent with their performance this season.
Their latest match played against defending champions Comilla Victorians was an extremely close affair. Chasing a target of 166, the Khulna Tigers fell short by just 4 runs despite a superb cameo of 30 runs by captain Yasir Ali.
Much will depend on the performance of their leading run-scorers, Tamim Iqbal and Azam Khan. Andrew Balbirnie and Shai Hope played well in the last game but more will be expected of them.
As mentioned earlier, Wahab Riaz has bowled well but has received little support from the bowlers around him and that has been one of the key reasons for the Tigers’ poor performance so far.
The Strikers reclaimed the top spot in the points table by convincingly defeating the Chattogram Challengers in their previous match.
Shanto scored his 3rd half-century of the season to give his team a solid start, while Mushfiqur Rahim and Ryan Burl scored 41 runs each to hand their team an easy win. Towhid Hridoy and Thisara Perera too are in good touch, making the Strikers one of the most consistent batting line-ups in the tournament.
The seam duo of Mashrafe Mortaza and Mohammad Amir have picked up 23 wickets between them and will once again play a key role in this game. Imad Wasim has been pretty economical with his left-arm orthodox spin and has also picked up 9 wickets.
Weather Report
The skies are expected to remain clear with temperatures ranging from 19-23 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The Sylhet International Stadium has hosted quite a few high-scoring matches this season and we are likely to have another such encounter with this game. The average first innings score here is around 160, which is a par score. As this is a night game, the bowlers will likely struggle to grip the ball in the second innings due to the dew.
Notable stats
Towhid Hridoy's Consistent Batting
Hridoy has been pretty reliable for the Sylhet Strikers at the top of the order. He has scored 3 half-centuries in his 6 innings so far and has scored 214 runs at an average of 35.66 and a strike rate of 148.61.
Team News
With no fresh injuries to report, we do not expect any changes in the squad for either team
KNT vs SSR Probable 11
KNT Playing 11
- Tamin Iqbal
- Shai Hope
- Andrew Balbirnie
- Mahmudul Hasan Joy
- Azam Khan (Wk)
- Yasir Ali (C)
- Mohammad Saifuddin
- Nahidul Islam
- Nasum Ahmed
- Nahid Rana
- Wahab Riaz
SSR Playing 11
- Zakir Hasan
- Mushfiqur Rahim (Wk)
- Akbar Ali
- Ryan Burl
- Thisara Perera
- Imad Wasim
- Tanzim Hasan Sakib
- Mashrafe Mortaza (C)
- Mohammad Amir
- Towhid Hridoy
- Nazmul Hossain Shanto
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Sylhet Strikers to win this match. After seeing a slight dip in form, they bounced back well in the last game to gain a convincing win. They have excelled in all departments and we think they should have no problem in defeating an under-confident opponent like Khulna Tigers.
Top Picks
Nazmul Hossain Shanto: Shanto is in sublime form this season and has scored 3 half-centuries so far and an aggregate of 350 runs, making him the top-scorer of the tournament.
Wahab Riaz: Wahab Riaz is a key bowler in an otherwise mediocre bowling line-up of the Khulna Tigers. He has picked up 13 wickets so far and is quite economical too, giving away just 6.90 runs an over.
Imad Wasim: Imad Wasim is a frontline spinner for the Sylhet Strikers and has picked up 9 wickets so far this season. He can also swing the willow to good effect lower down the order.
KNT vs SSR Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: M Rahim, A Khan
Batters: T Iqbal, N Hossain-Shanto (C), T Hridoy
All-rounders: T Perera, I Wasim (VC), M Saifuddin
Bowlers: W Riaz, M Mortaza, M Amir
