Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors Predictions: Abu Dhabi T10 League Grand Final Preview

The two teams that were numbers one and two in the Super League stage are back to duke it out in the grand final. When they met earlier in the playoffs, the Delhi Bulls managed to get the better of the Northern Warriors, but the Warriors made it to the finals by defeating the winner of the other eliminator. Now the Bulls will look for their maiden T10 title, while the Warriors will be looking for both their second title and revenge. As it stands, we have two teams that are chock full of talented players - both in terms of big hitting and excellent bowling - and they’re about to collide in an action-packed format with a sizable prize on the line. Sounds like a solid deal, and before the deal goes down, let’s take a look at the two teams.

Delhi Bulls

Predicted XI

Dwayne Bravo (c), Waqas Maqsood, Shiraz Ahmed, Samit Patel, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Evin Lewis, Adam Lyth, Mohammad Nabi, Tom Abell, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Bopara, Sherfane Rutherford.

Preview and form

Having beaten the Warriors once already, the Bulls will feel confident about their ability to do so again. However, that confidence might cause them to overlook their flaws in the previous match, or make them outright complacent. In that match, the Bulls were bowling first, and showed some excellent skill to keep the Warriors limited to just 97. Dwayne Bravo was the pick of the lot with his 2 for 14, but Nyeem Young and Waqas Maqsood also did very well to pick up two each, while Shiraz Ahmed’s economical 10 runs off 2 overs was also commendable. On the chase, the batting was a little all over the place with wickets falling at regular intervals, but Sherfane Rutherford’s 29 and Tom Abell’s 23 got the Bulls past their low target with 5 wickets and 8 balls to spare.

DB Key players

Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Hopefully someone this talented won’t mess up in the grand final, and will take his game to the next level.

Sherfane Rutherford: Today, Rutherford showed a mere glimpse of what he’s capable of, and we can’t wait to see more.

Dwayne Bravo: The champion cricketer was brilliant with the ball, and he will do what he does best - perform under pressure.

Waqas Maqsood: The veteran Pakistani domestic cricketer will be essential to the Bulls’ cause.

Northern Warriors

Predicted XI

Nicholas Pooran (c/wk), Fabian Allen, Rayad Emrit, Brandon King, Waheed Ahmed, Rovman Powell, Waseem Muhammad, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Siddique, Lendl Simmons, Wayne Parnell.

Preview and form

It was a big blow to be sent down to the lower bracket, but bouncing back showed real character for the Warriors, and now it’s up to them to create T10 history. In their previous match, the Warriors managed to beat Team Abu Dhabi to get to the final. Bowling first, Fabian Allen’s incredible 4 for 13 combined with Dhananjaya Lakshan’s 7-run-and-a-wicket over and Maheesh Theekshana’s economical spell to make sure Team Abu Dhabi could only get to 114, and the chase was superbly paced and seen out by Lendl Simmons’ 46 and Rovman Powell’s 49, with the Warriors winning with 7 wickets and 2 deliveries to go. 

NW Key players

Nicholas Pooran: After flopping in consecutive games, now would be a great time for Pooran to get back to form.

Rovman Powell: Speaking of form, somebody stop Rovman Powell because he is absolutely blistering as of late!

Fabian Allen: The left arm spinner from the Caribbean was scintillating last match, and needs to stay in similar form for the final.

Wahab Riaz: Rested in the last game, Riaz should be back for action tomorrow.

Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors weather conditions and pitch report

Abu Dhabi in winter is synonymous with great weather for cricket, with cool temperatures, moderate humidity, and no rain.

Like the weather, the pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium is also ideal for all aspects of cricket, if we haven’t foamed at the mouth about that already. That being said, the last few matches were relatively low-scoring, so perhaps the pitch is finally feeling the stress of continuous cricket being played on it. If that is the case, expect scores of 120 to be competitive.

Can the Bulls win this micro format’s only coveted prize? Or will the Warriors get their hands on that second title? Find out if our Delhi Bulls versus Northern Warriors predictions come true on Saturday!