Montreal Tigers vs Vancouver Knights, Global T20 Canada 2019, Match 8: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

Vancouver Knights, defending champions and currently fourth in the league, will be pitted against fifth-placed Montreal Tigers in Match 8 of Global T20 Canada 2019. Both teams have played two matches and won one, as have Winnipeg Hawks and Toronto Knights. This means that despite their ranks, both teams have won one match fewer than Brampton Wolves, who are currently at top spot.

Vancouver had started on a high, defeating Toronto comfortably in the tournament opener thanks to Michael Rippon’s economical spell and Chadwick Walton and Rassie van der Dussen‘s explosive batting. Having scored 208/5, they looked set to win their second match as well, but Winnipeg chased down the target in the 16th over.

Montreal suffered a similar fate, if not worse. Sunil Narine, Anton Devcich, and Mohammad Naveed starred in their win over Winnipeg Hawks, but then they were utterly humiliated by Brampton. Having bowled out Montreal for 101, Brampton chased down the target in just 6.4 overs. That will take some recovery.

Head to head

Vancouver had won the only match between the two sides, at King City last year, by 18 runs. Van der Dussen had starred with a 56-ball 83 that day before Tim Southee had 4-0-20-3 and Saad Bin Zafar 4-0-21-3.

Key players

Rassie van der Dussen (Vancouver Knights): With scores of 65* in 43 balls and 39 in 20, van der Dussen has been the standout batsman for the Knights as well as the second-highest scorer of the tournament. He had also starred in the only clash between the sides.

Sunil Narine (Montreal Tigers): Narine’s 4 overs have gone for 43, but everyone knows what he is capable of. His batting, on the other hand, has come off: he has struck at 172, and is Montreal’s top scorer right now.

Likely XIs

Vancouver Knights: Chris Gayle (c), Tobias Visee (wk), Chadwick Walton, Rassie van der Dussen, JJ Smit, Rizwan Cheema, Andre Russell, Michael Rippon, Saad Bin Zafar, Andile Phehlukwayo, Ali Khan.

Montreal Tigers: Kyle Coetzer, Sunil Narine, Anton Devcich, George Bailey (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Mohammad Naveed, Nikhil Dutta, Fawad Ahmed, Dillon Heyliger, Sean Abbott, Bhupinder Singh.

Prediction

Vancouver to defeat a battered, bruised Montreal.