Kings XI Punjab and Hobart Hurricanes will be making their Champions League T20 debut this evening as they clash against each other at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. It will be Match 2 of the OPPO Champions League Twenty20 2014 at Chandigarh in Group B. The Kings XI Punjab had qualified in this tournament after being the runners up of Pepsi IPL 2014. Hobart Hurricanes on the other hand are the runners-up of the KFC Big Bash League 2014.
Kings XI Punjab
This Group B match – Kings XI Punjab vs Hobart Hurricanes will begin at 8:00 pm IST. The match will come live on Star Sports channels in India. Here is a full list of channels that will be showing the live coverage of CLT20 2014.
Expect a massive home support for the Kings XI Punjab who will be led by George Bailey. Ironically George Bailey plays for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League and tonight he will plot schemes against his original state team!
Kings XI Punjab have emerged as a very strong team which can chased down any total during IPL 7. Virender Sehwag at the top did well in IPL 7 and all eyes will be on him whether he is still good for an Indian comeback or not. Glenn Maxwell is the million dollar player whose performance could well decide the outcome of the match. Then there is the finisher in David Miller the killer. Skipper George Bailey is very ice cool while some of the Indian players such as Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh and wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha are capable batsmen in their own rights.
The bowling of Kings XI Punjab is not that deadly with the absence of Mitchell Johnson. Thisara Perera, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Parvinder Awana are the main pacers. Akshar Patel is Kings XI Punjab’s reliable spinner who is expected to curtail the scoring with his flattish left-arm spin.
The Hobart Hurricanes are led by Wicket Keeper batsman Tim Paine who had opened for Australia in the past in ODIs. Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik is also in the squad and he will be the key batsman for Hobart Hurricanes against the spinners. About half of the Hobart Hurricanes’ squad has played international cricket so they are no pushovers. The bowling is led by Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger.
Kings XI Punjab Squad: Manan Vohra, Virender Sehwag, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey (C), Thisara Perera, Akshar Patel, Rishi Dhawan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Parvinder Awana, Mandeep Singh, Karanveer Singh, Anureet Singh
Hobart Hurricanes Squad: Ben Dunk, Tim Paine (C&WK), Shoaib Malik, Jonathan Wells, Travis Birt, Evan Gulbis, Aiden Blizzard, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Ben Laughlin, Cameron Boyce, Dominic Michael, Sam Rainbird, Joe Mennie