Balkh Legends vs Nangarhar Leopards Prediction

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Balkh Legends rotated their overseas players for the game against Kabul Zwanan, as Ben Laughlin returned to the team and Malcolm Waller and Dilshan Munaweera made their first appearances. Ryan ten Doeschate, Ravi Bopara and Colin Munro were the three to make way. Abdullah Mazari also replaced Aftab Alam, but he bowled just one over in his first appearance in the tournament – conceding six Hazratullah Zazai sixes and a wide – and appears likely to be dropped again. Munaweera scored 46 with the bat to stake his claim for a regular starting place, and with a play-off secured they can afford to continue to experiment.

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Chris Gayle was back to his explosive best last time out. He took a while to warm up but, once he did, he hammered ten sixes in his 48-ball 80 before being run out.

Gayle shared a 93-run opening partnership with Dilshan Munaweera (46 from 25 balls) on the Sri Lankan’s first appearance in the tournament, while Afghan teenager Darwish Rasooli followed up his 44 against Paktia Panthers with his first T20 half-century from 27 balls.

Ben Laughlin came into the tournament as the leading wicket taker in Big Bash history but failed to impress in his early performances. He came back strong last time out, however – taking 3-37 from his four overs. Qais Ahmad and captain Mohammad Nabi – who had also hit 37 from 15 balls with the bat – kept the run rate down, meanwhile, both taking 1-27 from four overs.

Gulbadin Naib was expensive and wicktless, but he has taken 11 wickets in the tournament so far too.

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Balkh Legends top the APL table after five wins in their first six games. Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored three times in the first five games with 78* in an eight-wicket win against Kabul Zwanan, 35 from 27 balls in a low-scoring defeat of Nangarhar Leopards when these teams last met (Balkh’s 143/7 proving 25 runs too much for the Leopards as Mirwais Ashraf claimed 4-19 to bowl them out for 118), and then 74* in a total of 195/4 before Paktia Panthers – who had won the previous game between the two – were bowled out for just 106.

Last time out, Balkh Legends smashed the highest score in the tournament so far as Chris Gayle’s 48-ball 80 lifted them to 244/6 from 20 overs. In reply, Hazratullah Zazai hit six sixes in an over off Abdullah Mazari, who also bowled a wide in that over, but they ultimately finished 21 runs short on 223/7.