Qalandars vs Team Abu Dhabi Predictions: Abu Dhabi TCL 8th Match Preview

A resounding win over the Pune Devils has seen the Qalandars rocket to the top of Group B. A fantastic performance with both bat and ball got them in such a position, and they’ll want to hold on to it for dear life - especially since they’re the only team in the group to not have a loss to their name yet. Next on their docket are Team Abu Dhabi, who like the Qalandars have also only played one match. Their match didn’t go so well, though, as they succumbed to the Deccan Gladiators. When you’re named after the city that’s hosting the tournament, you have to do better than this. With 3 teams in the group having 1 win, there’s everything to play for. Before these two go at each other's throats, let’s dive a little deeper into how they’re done so far.

Qalandars

Predicted XI

Sohail Akhtar (c), Samit Patel, Asif Ali, Sultan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Ben Dunk (wk), Chris Jordan, Sharjeel Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Samit Patel, Sohail Tanvir.

Preview and form

The credit of the Qalandars’ victory rests a little more on two of their bowlers than one would initially suspect. Fielding first against the Pune Devils, an excellent spell of just 12 runs and a wicket from Sultan Ahmed, and a similar performance at the cost of just 4 more runs for Chris Jordan really helped stem the flow of runs and limited the target to 108. When it came time to bat, Tom Banton’s brutal 45 off 18 led the way, and Shajeel Khan’s 28 and Sohail Akhtar’s 33 were enough to not only reach the target, but do so in just 7.1 overs with 9 wickets in hand.

QAL Key players

Tom Banton: The Player of the Match of the last game has more than a fair bit of talent with the bat.

Sohail Akhtar: The captain for the time being, Sohail Akhtar was incendiary at the crease in the first match.

Chris Jordan: Usually known to be expensive, Chris Jordan was excellent last game, and he’ll be important in the matches up ahead.

Sultan Ahmed: The unsung hero of the match deserves a few more plaudits thrown his way.

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Team Abu Dhabi

Predicted XI

Luke Wright (c), Joe Clarke, Leonardo Julien (wk), Obed McCoy, Jamie Overton, Rohan Mustafa, Usman Shinwari, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ben Duckett, Chris Gayle, Najibullah Zadran, Paul Stirling.

Preview and form

It’s bizarre to see 9 wickets fall in the course of 8 overs, but such was the state of Team Abu Dhabi when they unsuccessfully faced off against the Deccan Gladiators. Batting first, 8 out of 11 players were dismissed for, or finished at, single figures. Only Luke Wright’s 25 and Joe Clarke’s 21 stood out as the team trundled to a miserable 95 for 9 after 10 overs. Their defense was somewhat better, with Jamie Overton picking up 3 wickets and Rohan Mustafa doing well for his figures of 2-0-14-1, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough to prevent a 6-wicker loss in the final over.

TAD Key players

Luke Wright: Wright needs to do better if he intends to lead this team from the front.

Joe Clarke: With Gayle not in the best of form, Team Abu Dhabi has some pretty big shoes to fill in the slogging department. Will Clarke step up?

Jamie Overton: The English youngster was brilliant in the first match, and we’ll be looking forward to seeing more of him in the matches to come.

Rohan Mustafa: This UAE veteran has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

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QAL vs TAD weather conditions and pitch report

As we’ve already seen, it’s going to be a fantastic day for cricket in the UAE capital with clear skies and pleasant temperatures. 

With bowlers finally getting something to celebrate about the pitch, expect hard-fought encounters between the two main disciplines of cricket, and targets of 120 or more to be difficult to scale.

Can the Qalandars become the only team in their group with two wins so far? Or will Team Abu Dhabi bounce back to make it a level playing field for everyone? Find out if our Qalandars versus Team Abu Dhabi predictions come true on Saturday!