World Giants vs Asia Lions, LLC T20 2023, Today Match Prediction 16 March 2023

wgs vs aln Match Prediction & Analysis

This is a virtual Qualifier between the top two teams as they face each other in their last league stage game. The winner of this match will go directly to the Final while the remaining two teams will fight it out in the Eliminator.

World Giants won their last game against India Maharajas by 3 wickets as they successfully chased down a 137-run target. Unlike the Giants, Asia Lions will be coming into this game on the back of a 10-wicket defeat.

After ending up with 157 runs batting first against the Maharajas, Lions failed to take a single wicket while defending the total. The Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq played a handy knock in that innings, a recap of what he was known for during his peak years with Pakistan.

Chris Gayle looked in fine touch for World Giants in the last game and the pacers were all in top gear. It will be a good fight between two well-matched teams in Doha as the Lions face the Giants one last time before the playoffs.

TEAMS PREVIEW

World Giants Preview

It hasn’t been a very high-scoring season of Legends League Cricket. The World Giants, in spite of a star-studded lineup, have struggled to put runs on the board. Aaron Finch should consider opening the innings along with Chris Gayle. Finch demoted himself while letting others open for the last two games.

It didn’t make much of an impact as Gayle’s opening partners in the last couple of outings failed to get going. Finch has failed at number 4 and would be better off at the top with an attacking approach.

Shane Watson is a reliable number 3 batsman in this batting order. He has got a few good starts and also scored a fifty in the season opener. In the late middle order, Samit Patel is one such batter who hasn’t been completely missing out on the action.

Patel has been impressive in the last few seasons of the T20 Blast and is a key all-rounder in the World Giants lineup as well. 

In the pace department, Brett Lee, Tino Best, and Chris Mpofu will be the key bowlers to watch out for. Best is in great shape and is a very fit cricketer. World Giants can pose a tough challenge with the ball though they don’t have many reliable or consistent players in the batting department.

World Giants Predicted Playing XI:

Aaron Finch (c), Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, Ross Taylor, Eoin Morgan, Morne van Wyk (wk), Tino Best, Samit Patel, Monty Panesar, Brett Lee, Chris Mpofu, Ricardo Powell

World Giants Actual Playing XI:

Kevin O'Brien, Morne van Wyk, Jacques Kallis, Tino Best, Brett Lee, Chris Mpofu, Ricardo Powell, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Hashim Amla, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson

Asia Lions Preview

After two back-to-back wins, Lions suffered a big defeat when they met India Maharajas for the second time this season. Though a 157-run total would not have been enough against the Maharajas, the nature of the loss was more shocking. Lions had Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, and Mohammad Amir in their bowling attack.

And to lose by 10 wickets with such legends in the bowling arsenal is not easy to digest. And though Mohammad Hafeez was out cheaply in the last game, Lions would like to stick with him for this game. 

He will be a crucial player in the middle order. He has plenty of experience and was recently successful with the Pakistan national side and his PSL franchise as a match-finisher in the late middle order.

Abdul Razzaq has raised hopes for the Lions with his fiery knock lower down the order. Misbah ul Haq has already played a few good knocks and if he can also join the party in this game, Asia Lions will be on top.

One of the openers can be expected to go big and play a significant knock for the Lions. It is the bowlers Misbah would be concerned about. Tanvir, Amir, and Abdur Razzaq need to deliver breakthroughs and keep the Lions in the game in this key encounter.

Asia Lions Predicted Playing XI:

Upul Tharanga (wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thisara Perera, Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq, Sohail Tanvir, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Amir, Abdur Razzak

Asia Lions Actual Playing XI:

Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Abdur Razzak, Mohammad Amir, Abdul Razzaq, Thisara Perera, Misbah-ul-Haq, Isuru Udana, Paras Khadka, Sohail Tanvir

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

It looks like a balanced pitch that offers help for the bowlers as well. It will take great timing for batters to be able to find boundaries. And that will be a challenging task on this pitch. The weather will be sunny with a high of 28 degrees Celsius in Doha.

Venue Details

West End Park International Cricket Stadium will be the venue for this match. It is not a particularly high-scoring venue and a 1st innings score of more than 165-170 can be a match-winning total.

Toss: To Bowl

As batting gets tougher on this surface, teams are looking to consider bowling first and restrict the opposition below a par total. And while chasing may still not be easy, it would give the team an edge in the contest.