Kings XI Punjab vs. Hobart Hurricanes Prediction

The mighty squad of the Pepsi Indian Premier League, 2014, Kings XI Punjab, who stood top on the points table with 22 were unluckily lost the final against Kolkata Knight Riders in Bangalore. Hobart Hurricanes were outplayed by Perth Scorchers in the final of the Big Bah League, 2013-14 by 39 runs in Perth. Both runner-up teams will be facing each other in the Champions League Twenty20 and would like to open their account on a high note.

Players to watch

Glenn Maxwell was the third highest run scorer in the IPL 2014 and top scorer for KXIP with 552 runs. The seasoned Virender Sehwag along with David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha and Manan Vohra are steady batsmen. Sandeep Sharma, Akshar Patel, Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan and Lakshmipathy Balaji are their dependable bowlers.

Ben Dunk was the highest run getter in the Big Bash League, 2013-14 while representing Hobart Hurricans. Shoaib Malik was impressive for Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League, 2014, and led their batting table with 406 runs. Tim Paine, Travis Birt and Jonathan Wells form a stable batting line up. Ben Laughlin, Cameron Boyce, Shoaib Malik, Dough Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus are top class bowlers.

Time & Venue

Thursday, September 18, 2014 @ 14:30 GMT, 20:00 local at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh.

Weather

A clear weather for the event with temperatures around 23-34ᵒC.

Toss

Kings XI Punjab will opt to field and Hobart Hurricanes can go for batting after winning the toss according to their previous records.

The Pitch

Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, the home ground of Kings XI Punjab, with a seating capacity of 45,000 spectators was inaugurated in 1993. The green top surface was lively and assisted the pace bowlers initially but later on it became suitable for spin bowling as well while the batsmen can enjoy their stroke play.

Teams

Kings XI Punjab – George Bailey (C), Anureet Singh, Parvinder Awana, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Rishi Dhawan, Mitchell Johnson, Karanveer Singh, Mandeep Singh, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Akshar Patel, Thisara Perera, Wriddhiman Saha, Virender Sehwag, Manan Vohra.

Hobart Hurricanes – Tim Paine (C), Travis Birt, Aiden Blizzard, Dough Bollinger, Cameron Boyce, Xavier Doherty, Ben Dunk, Evan Gulbis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ben Laughlin, Joe Mennie, Dom Michael, Sam Rainbird, Shoaib Malik, Jonathan Wells.

Prediction

Kings XI Punjab can begin the tournament with a victory.