AST vs UMA Final Prediction [Source: @championscuppcb/x]
Stallions (AST) and Markhors (UMA) will square off in the final match of the Pakistan Champions T20 Cup 2024 on Wednesday, December 25. The much-awaited contest will be hosted by the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the action is slated to commence from 4:00 PM IST onwards.
Stallions
Stallions topped the points table of the Pakistan Champions T20 Cup 2024 by securing six wins from eight matches. Under the leadership of Mohammad Haris, the Stallions finished the opening round of the competition with a formidable NRR of 0.805.
Markhors
Much like the Stallions, the Markhors also registered six wins from eight league stage fixtures, but finished at number two on the five-team standings for securing a slightly inferior NRR of 0.607. Iftikhar Ahmed and co. subsequently defeated Lions in a one-sided knockout game to qualify for the finals.
Stallions vs Markhors Head-to-Head Records in T20s
Matches | Stallions won | Markhors won | N/R |
---|---|---|---|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
How Will the Rawalpindi Pitch Behave?
After two weeks of non-stop cricketing action at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the surface here seems to have deteriorated a bit to become slightly friendlier for the spinners and slow bowlers. Batters will have to occupy themselves at the crease and bide their time before playing their strokes. The average first innings total at the venue in the final five league matches of the season has turned out to be just 133, as opposed to some high-scoring crackers hosted here in the initial stages of the competition.
Players To Watch Out For In Stallions vs Markhors Final
Stallions
Hussain Talat
Hussain Talat has emerged as one of only two batters of the Champions T20 Cup 2024 season to have tallied over 300 runs. The cricketer even whacked a 50-ball 101* against Panthers earlier in the tournament. Moreover, the all-rounder has also picked up five wickets with the ball.
Mohammad Haris
Stallions captain Mohammad Haris has scored his 248 runs this season with a blistering strike rate of 153.08. The dashing wicketkeeper-batter has bashed three cracking half-centuries, all in match-winning causes for his team.
Mohammad Ali
Stallions fast bowler Mohammad Ali has picked up three four-wicket hauls in his past four matches of the Pakistan Champions T20 Cup 2024 season. With an overall collection of 19 wickets, Ali has turned out to be the most successful bowler so far this tournament.
Usman Tariq
Uncapped off-spinner Usman Tariq has maintained an impressive economy rate of just 6.37 after bowling 32 overs this season. He has also taken 12 wickets in the process with an average of 17 from eight matches.
Markhors
Fakhar Zaman
Senior Pakistan opener and Markhors star Fakhar Zaman scored a match-winning 89 for his team in the qualifier earlier this week. Overall, Zaman has accumulated 283 runs from nine innings at a strike rate of 138.72.
Nisar Ahmad
Markhors fast bowler Nisar Ahmed has consistently wrecked opposition’s batting line-ups throughout this season. So far in the tournament, the 29-year-old has bagged 15 wickets at an average of just 15.66.
Khawaja Nafay
Khawaja Nafay has listed a couple of match-winning 60s for the Markhors off late, and has tallied 214 runs overall from nine innings at an average of 26.75. Moreover, the blistering wicketkeeper-batter has maintained a strike rate of 135.44.
Akif Javed
While Akif Javed has conceded runs at an expensive economy of over eight, the 24-year-old has managed to deliver some timely breakthroughs for the Markhors this season. The left-arm fast bowler has snapped 13 wickets from nine innings at an average of 21.61.
Today's Match Prediction: Stallions vs Markhors Final Match
Predicted Top Performers
Stallions – Mohammad Haris, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Ali
Markhors – Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Nisar Ahmed
Stallions vs Markhors Final Match: Predicted Score
Predicted first innings score: 150-170
Predicted second innings score: 155-175
Predicted Result: The chasing team will likely have an edge in this match.