CPL 2020 | Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Lucia Zouks - Statistical Preview

By1XBet, SportsCafe Editor

09/05/2020

Two teams that have been playing top-notch cricket and have qualified for the playoffs with flying colours, TKR and SLZ would love to go one-up on the other in Match 27. Zouks will look to end Trinbago’s undefeated run in the CPL 2020 as both teams ready themselves for the playoffs.

Form Guide

Trinbago Knight Riders - W W W W W

The reigning table-toppers, the maverick of the CPL 2020, Trinbago Knight Riders have put up the most dominating performance in the ongoing competition, going undefeated, winning eight out of eight games, which is simply phenomenal. In their last game, TKR defeated the Patriots by as big a margin as 59 runs even in the absence of superstars, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard. Lendl Simmons, who wasn't scoring big, finally came good as he hammered 96, which bodes well for the team, given Pollard and Bravo have already set the CPL ablaze, and southpaws Colin Munro and Sunil Narine have been more than decent with the bat. Their bowling especially spinners have been exceptional with the likes of Sunil Narine, Khary Pierre, Fawad Ahmed and now even Pravin Tambe joining the party. In this game, we might see Pollard returning back with Bravo getting benched for the unstoppable Trinbago Knight Riders.

St Lucia Zouks - L W W L W

After defending lowest-ever-total of 92 runs against Tridents, expectations were aplomb when Zouks had to defend 110 runs versus Guyana Amazon Warriors in the last game after their batting failed miserably. But it wasn't to be as they received a proper thrashing, losing the game with as many as 37 balls remaining. But that just doesn't take anything away from what has been a remarkable CPL campaign for Daren Sammy's men, who have emerged victorious in five out of eight games, qualifying in top four for the first time since 2016. As dicey as their batting has been, their bowling has been the stronger suit with fast bowlers Kesrick Williams and Scott Kuggeleijn taking 10 and 12 wickets respectively. All-rounders, Mohammad Nabi and Roston Chase have also put in some credible performances, with Nabi emerging as one of the top-performers of the season. The Daren Sammy-led side will look to return back to winning ways against a formidable Trinbago Knight Riders.

Key Batsmen

Trinbago Knight Riders- Lendl Simmons

After struggling to put bat to ball in the first five games of the season, TKR opener Lendl Simmons was showing signs of returning back to form with 25 and 32 against Jamaica and Tridents respectively. But it was the last game when he finally came all guns blazing, making a 61-ball-96 against the Patriots. Simmons smashed seven fours and six sixes and powered Trinbago Knight Riders to 174 runs in a game where no other batsman from TKR had a strike-rate of more than 100 if we take a minimum of 10 runs. The Port of Spain-born batsman is now also the leading run-scorer for his side with 210 runs and given his big-match temperament like we saw in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final against India, he will look to unleash his best as we are just a few days away from the playoffs.

St Lucia Zouks - Roston Chase

West Indies Test all-rounder, Roston Chase has done an amazing job for his side in the CPL so far, after there were question marks over his credentials as a T20 player, leading into the tournament. With 170 runs in six innings at 34, two fifties to his credit, he has topped the run-charts for the Zouks and provided those crucial runs for the side, which have been paramount in giving the bowlers something to play for. Add to that, the offie’s tally of six wickets in seven games at an economy of 4.64 and he will emerge as one of the heroes in Zouks campaign for the season. Just like his match-winning hand against Tridents, the 28-year-old will need to put his best foot forward against an already dominant TKR in tonight's clash.

Key Bowlers

Trinbago Knight Riders - Pravin Tambe

The Indian leg-spinner, Pravin Tambe has created some impression in what has been his first stint in the CPL. The Mumbai-born cricketer has only played the last two games for TKR, taking as many wickets at an economy of 5.4. He ended up with figures of 1/12 against the Patriots in the last game, removing the dangerous-looking Joshua Da Silva while he dismissed Najibullah Zadran when TKR met Zouks in what was a rain-curtailed match. It's already remarkable that despite being 48-year-old Tambe has turned up for CPL, but most importantly, he bowled like a well-oiled machine in their last encounter, and his variations when coupled with his experience of playing in a league like IPL, he can prove an X-factor, more so, in the potential absence of Narine and Bravo.

St Lucia Zouks - Mohammad Nabi

Whenever Sammy-led Zouks approach a difficult situation, they can sit back and relax just by giving Nabi the white cherry in hand, with which he has prospered to emerge as a crucial cog for his side. Just two games ago, the clever off-spinner wrecked havoc in Patriots camp as he claimed his maiden fifer in CPL and displayed the form of a man, who is at the zenith of his game. After having bowled 28 overs in the tournament, the Afghanistan all-rounder has given runs at just 4.89 runs per over, add to that the fact that he has scalped 11 wickets in eight innings. The 35-year-old hasn’t just shone through with the ball but has also taken six catches and made 135 runs in seven innings, with the second-best strike-rate by anyone in his team- 131.06, minimum of 100 runs. The team will again rely on their match-winner with the ball in hand to land a hard punch on an indomitable opponent in TKR.

1XBet Predictions

As good as Zouks have been this year, TKR are on a ridiculous roll and given how they have won from tricky situations, in absence of stars like in the last game, it would require something very special for the Daren Sammy-side to outperform them. 1XBet predicts TKR to beat Zouks in the Match 27 of CPL 2020.

Predicted Playing XI

Trinbago Knight Riders- Sunil Narine/ Colin Munro, Lendl Simmons, Amir Jangoo, Tim Seifert (WK), Darren Bravo/ Tion Webster, Kieron Pollard (C), Sikandar Raza, Akeal Hosein, Khary Pierre, Pravin Tambe, and Anderson Philip.

ST Lucia Zouks- Rahkeem Cornwall, Andre Fletcher(WK), Leniko Boucher, Najibullah Zadran, Roston Chase, Mohammad Nabi, Javelle Glenn, Daren Sammy (C), Scott Kuggeleijn, Kesrick Williams, and Zahir Khan/ Obed McCoy.

Venue: Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.

When to Watch: September 5, 7:30 PM IST.

Where to Watch: Star Sports Network and Fan Code