SCL Match 4: Kabul Eagles vs Mis Ainak Knights Prediction and Preview

As the tournament starts warming up, 2016 champions Kabul Eagles meet current defending champions Mis Ainak Knights. With crucial players Mohammad Nabi and Naveen-ul-Haq unavailable for this year’s tournament due to his CPL and IPL commitments as well as travel restrictions in the Caribbean region, the Knights will definitely be weakened, but they are still a force to be reckoned with, as Band-e-Amir Dragons found out on Sunday. At the other end of the ring, Kabul Eagles, suffered a brutal defeat to Boost Defenders and will have to work hard to recover their miserable net run rate. With the ghosts of last year’s disappointment still lurking, the team from the capital will want to do much better than that in the coming matches. Before the two groups of warriors clash, let’s take a look at how they stand.

Kabul Eagles Preview & Form

Having made an extraordinary mess of a golden chance to play in the finals last year, the Eagles have regrouped this year to improve their record. One of the four teams to have won the Shpageeza, they will be playing with the intent to regain the crown after 4 years to equal the tally of the more successful Mis Ainak Knights and the Speen Ghar Tigers. In their last match, however, they showed no such ability as they crumbled to an awful 115 in a chase for 172, which they Boost Defenders got at the loss of only 3 wickets. It’s obvious that the Eagles need to assess their team’s situation, as only 2 batsmen and 1 bowler put up anything remotely resembling a decent performance. 

Mis Ainak Knights Preview & Form

With a thriller of a win to start off their 2020 campaign, the Knights will be gunning for not only a title defense, but a coveted third title which would put them in an echelon above their peers. MAK will no doubt sorely miss their two absentees, but with Mohammad Shahzad, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Noor Ahmad looking in great form, they still have the resources necessary for such a feat. In their last match, some solid batting was combined with brilliant bowling right at the death to give them a victory by the narrowest run margin possible. Going into their second game, they will no doubt try to exploit Kabul’s many obvious weaknesses.

Match Prediction

A lot is on the line for Kabul - not the least of which is honour for a historically proud group of people. Expect Rahmanullah Gurbaz to make amends for his golden duck in the first match with support from Sediqullah Atal, while Farmanullah and Zia-ur-Rehman pick up wickets.

Mis Ainak players will want to stick to their strengths and address their few shortcomings. Expect Mohammad Shahzad and Hashmatullah Shahidi to continue their excellent form, while Noor Ahmad and Shapoor Zadran bowl their hearts out.

Who will win the 4th match?

Match Prediction: Mis Ainak Knights To Win (1.65 @ 1XBET)

Other Betting Tips:

• Toss - MAK

• KABUL top batsman - R Gurbaz

• MAK top batsman - M Shahzad

• Players with most boundaries - R Gurbaz (KABUL), M Shahzad (MAK)

• Players to score a fifty – R Gurbaz/S Atal (KABUL), H Shahidi/M Shahzad (MAK) 

• Players to take most wickets - Zia-ur-Rehman (KABUL), S Zadran (MAK) 

• Most fours - MAK

• Most sixes - MAK

Can Kabul balance out their wins and losses by trumping the defending champions? Or will the Knights zoom past them without much effort? Find out on Tuesday!