Paul Stirling (Source: Twitter)
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals are all set to lock horns in Match no.22 of the inaugural International League (ILT20 2023) on Monday, January 30 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Both sides set the tone for the tournament when they met each other in the opening game in Dubai where the Capitals sealed the contest by a big margin of 73 runs.
Talking about the form, it's all doom and gloom for the Knight Riders as they having a torrid time in the first season. Sunil Narine's side has played 7 matches and is yet to open their account. They have lost six with one game ending with no result. With just a solitary point and a net run rate of -2.611, they are placed at the bottom sixth position in the table. (All scenarios till Match no.20)
On the other hand, the Capitals are also not having the best of times in this campaign. They have played 7 games with just two wins and four losses. Their two victories have come against tomorrow's opposition Knight Riders and MI Emirates. With 5 points and an NRR of +0.721, they are placed above Abu Dhabi on the fifth spot. (All scenarios till Match no.20)
Before the game kicks off, let us look at the important stats, best player picks and the best predicted teams for the fantasy contests of the match.
Ground Stats: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Thrice sides batting first have managed to go past the 200-run mark in the 6 matches played in Abu Dhabi. Teams batting first and second have won three games apiece at the venue in this campaign.
Numbers at the ground in ILT2023
Tota Matches: 6
Matches won batting first: 3
Matches won batting second: 3
Average runs batting first: 183
Average runs batting second: 155
Average runs per over: 8.99
Average runs per wicket: 29.39
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Head-to-Head
Speaking about the Head-to-Head contests, both sides met in the tournament opener as mentioned above. The Capitals won that encounter by a margin of 73 runs with skipper Rovman Powell winning the Player of the Match award for his all-round show of 48 off 29 and 2/15 (2)
Total Match: 1
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won: 0
Dubai Capitals won: 1
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Probable Playing XI
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Team News
No major updates
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Probable Playing XI
Paul Stirling, Joe Clarke (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Brandon King, Sunil Narine (c), Akeal Hosein, Zawar Farid, Lahiru Kumara, Sabir Rao
Dubai Capitals Team News
No major updates
Dubai Capitals Probable Playing XI
Robin Uthappa (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Chirag Suri, Dasun Shanaka, Rovman Powell (c), Sikandar Raza, Yusuf Pathan, Fred Klaassen, Adam Zampa, Jake Ball, Akif Raja
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Top Five Picks
- Paul Stirling (ABD): Irelnd's destructive opener Paul Stirling is back and he is the second highest run-scorer for the Knight Riders this season with 2 half-centuries in 3 outings. He is averaging 43.00 and picking him for this contest should be a good choice.
- Dhananjaya de Silva (ABD): Sri Lanka all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva has scored the third-most runs for Abu Dhabi in 4 matches in this disastrous campaign. Batting at a crucial no. 3 spot, de Silva could come handy in this fixture.
- Rovman Powell (DUB): Dubai Capitals skipper Rovman Powell has just gone from strength to strength as he is the leading run-getter for his side. He is averaging 53.20 and selecting him should be a right choice for this contest.
- Robin Uthappa (DUB): Wicketkeeper batter Robin Uthappa has amassed just 153 runs with one half-century and the highest score of 79 in 6 outings as he is due for a big knock.
- Adam Zampa (DUB): Australia's leg spinner Adam Zampa made his debut for the Capitals in the last game and showed his worth straight away by picking up 3 wickets for just 16 runs in 4 overs. He is a proven white-ball specialist spinner as he looks a good bet for this fixture.
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Must picks for the match
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
- Paul Stirling - 129 runs in 3 games
- Dhananjaya de Silva - 100 runs and 1 wicket in 4 games
- Andre Russell - 141 runs and 4 wickets in 6 games
Dubai Capitals
- Rovman Powell - 266 runs and 5 wickets in 7 matches
- Robin Uthappa - 153 runs in 6 matches
- Adam Zampa - 3 wickets in 1 match
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Risky Picks
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Joe Clarke, Brnadon King
Dubai Capitals: Chirag Suri, Sikandar Raza
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Best Captain and Vice-captain choices
- Paul Stirling (ABD)
- Rovman Powell (DUB)
- Robin Uthappa (DUB)
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Team for Head-to-Head Contests
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Wicketkeeper: Robin Uthappa
Batters: Paul Stirling, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Rovman Powell
All-rounders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Dasun Shanaka
Bowlers: Akeal Hosein, Lahiru Kumara, Adam Zampa
Captain: Paul Stirling
Vice-captain: Rovman Powell
ABD: 7 Players, DUB: 4 Players
ABD vs DUB, Match 22: Team for Winner takes all Contests
Wicketkeeper: Joe Clarke, Robin Uthappa
Batters: Brandon King, Charith Asalanka, Hazratullah Zazai, Chirag Suri
All-rounders: Zawar Farid, Sikandar Raza
Bowlers: Sabir Ali, Jake Ball, Adam Zampa
Captain: Robin Uthappa
Vice-captain: Sikandar Raza
ABD: 5 Players, DUB: 6 Players
Also Read: Ruthless MI Emirates annihilates Desert Vipers registering a 157 runs victory
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