Bengaluru, August 14: The Advance Players League (APL) T20 championship is inching closer towards its business end in Dar es Salaam. During the 15th match of the tournament, Buffalo Blasters will go up against Royal Rhinos at the Gymkhana Ground.
Both teams currently occupy the last two positions in the points table, with the Rhinos firmly rooted to the bottom without a win. Since they have very little to play for in terms of qualification, we could witness an open and equally balanced encounter on Friday (August 14).
Due to the sheer unpredictability of results at APL, the Buffalo Blasters will be hoping they can qualify for the next round by sneaking in through the back door. Vishal Patel's men have mustered just a single win so far but have a better NRR than Simba Kings, who are just above them. As such, they will know that a win against the struggling Rhinos would put them in good stead.
The Blasters produced a brilliant effort during their six-wicket win over Chui Challengers recently and will be hoping to draw inspiration from the same. However, they need to be more consistent with their performances with the bat, if they are to get through to the next round and progress further ahead.
Royal Rhinos, on the other hand, have nothing but pride to play for during their final game on Friday. With the exception of their defeat to Simba Kings, the Rhinos have managed to do well with the bat. They've notched up scores above 120 in each of those three games, but their bowling and fielding have not been top-notch. If they are to make a lasting impression on this year's tournament, it will be as the team that could spoil the Blasters' outside chance of qualifying for the next round.
We expect another tightly contested affair between the sides. Blasters need to win to stay alive in the tournament, while Rhinos will be desperate to finish their campaign with a consolation victory. The best picks for captain and vice-captain for the match are Salumu Jumbe, Ankit Bhagel and Vishal Patel from Buffalo Blasters. All of Issa Safari, Zamoyoni Ramadhani and Jumanne Masquater from Royal Rhinos can also be considered.
Probable Playing XI
Buffalo Blasters: Mohamed Omari, Ankit Bhagel, Vishal Patel, Wilbart Mollel, Athumani Siwa, Goodluck Andrew, Salumu Jumbe, Adnan Zariwala, Ayubu Swedi, Firoz Dahodwala, Abubakar Selemani
Royal Rhinos: Arsalaan Premji, Zamoyoni Ramadhani, Jumanne Masquater, Ashish Kamania, Vikram Rathore, Aahil Jasani, Safvan Annarthodika, Jafari Kanyita, Seif Khalifa, Suraj Kumar, Augustin Mwamele
Captain: Jumbe
Vice-Captain: Bhagel
Best 14
Wicket-Keepers: Mohamed Omari
Batsmen: Vishal Patel, Zamoyoni Ramadhani, Seif Khalifa, Jumanne Masquater, Yakesh Patel
All-Rounders: Salumu Jumbe, Ankit Bhagel, Ashish Kamania, Vikram Rathore
Bowlers: Firoz Dahodwala, Goodluck Andrew, Issa Safari, Suraj Kumar
Match Details
Date: 14 August 2020
Time: 5:00 PM IST
Venue: Gymkhana Ground, Dar es Salam
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