Brampton Wolves vs Edmonton Royals, Global Canada T20 League, Match 16: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

This is the first time Brampton Wolves – hosts for the entire 2019 edition – are playing in the Global Canadian T20, and they have arrived in style, winning their first four matches. They did lose their last, against Vancouver Knights, but they topped the group nevertheless, and will now play last-placed Edmonton Royals in the Round 2 match.

This match, too, is redundant for Brampton. Even if they lose here they will still remain in the top two and make it to the Playoffs. Even if Vancouver beat Winnipeg Hawks to topple them from the top spot, Brampton will finish in the top two and play Qualifier 1.

Edmonton, on the other hand, may make it to the Playoffs if they win, though they will need Vancouver to beat Winnipeg and Montreal Tigers to beat Toronto Nationals, and then finish with a net run rate superior to both Winnipeg and Toronto.

Shahid Afridi, Lendl Simmons, George Munsey, and Babar Hayat are all in form; Ish Sodhi is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, while Zahoor Khan and Afridi have not done too badly either. Brampton has been the side to beat in the tournament.

Ben Cutting has been Edmonton’s biggest star with his all-round show, while Faf du Plessis, Jimmy Neesham, Anshuman Rath, and Shadab Khan have contributed from time to time.

Head to head

With a 40-ball unbeaten 81, Afridi had blasted out Edmonton when the teams had met for the only other time, in the league phase of this edition. Brampton reached 207/5 and restricted Edmonton to 180/9.

Key players

Shahid Afridi (Brampton Wolves): With 89 runs at 185 and 5 wickets at 7 an over, there is little doubt that Afridi has been one of the stars of the tournament. He was also Player of the Match when Brampton beat Edmonton earlier in the tournament.

Shadab Khan (Edmonton Royals): Shadab has second-most wickets in the tournament; his 9 wickets are only 2 behind Sodhi’s tally of 11; and his 68 runs have come at a strike rate of just 158. Edmonton’s MVP? Perhaps.

Likely XIs

Brampton Wolves: Lendl Simmons (wk), George Munsey, Colin Munro (c), Nitish Kumar, Shahid Afridi, Babar Hayat, Abraash Khan, Nawab Singh, Ish Sodhi, Wahab Riaz, Cecil Pervez.

Edmonton Royals: Anshuman Rath (wk), Navneet Dhaliwal, Mohammad Hafeez (c), Ben Cutting, Jimmy Neesham, Safyaan Sharif, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Richie Berrington, Satsimranjit Dhindsa.

Prediction

Brampton to win, top league, and play Qualifier 1.