Balkh Legends vs Kabul Zwanan Final Prediction

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Gulbadin Naib returned for the semi-final, leaving Balkh Legends at full strength having rotated players in previous matches. Abdullah Mazari has not played since his only over of the competition went for 37 runs (six Hazratullah Zazai sixes and a wide) in the most recent game between these two teams. He joins overseas trio Ben Laughlin, Dilshan Munaweera and Malcolm Wakher who are also likely to miss the final.

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After a slow start, Chris Gayle has been back to his big-hitting best in his last three matches. He scored 80 from 44 balls when these two teams last met before 73 from 22 in the final group game and 54 from 30 at the top of the order in the semi-final.

Teenager Darwish Rasooli top scored in the semi-final, however, opening with Gayle. His 78 from 45 balls was his second 50 of the tournament, having also hit exactly 50 when these two teams last met.

The star of the semi-final was captain Mohammad Nabi, however. He hit 47 from just 16 balls with the bat - including five sixes - and then claimed 4-12 from his 3.1 overs in reply.

Mirwais Ashraf took 2-14 from two overs in that win, and consequently overtook Gulbadin Naib as Balkh Legends' top wicket-taker with 13 from eight games (Naib has 12). Qais Ahmad's 3-18 - his best figures of the tournament so far - takes him to ten from eight games. Ahmad also has the best economy rate of the Balkh Legends' front-line bowlers too.

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Only Paktia Panthers and Nangarhar Leopards were able to beat Balkh Legends during the group stage, and the latter was after the Legends had already secured their play-off match. The other six wins included a double against final opponents Kabul Zwanan. The first match saw Laurie Evans hut 64 from 47 balls for Kabul, but Ryan ten Doeschate's unbeaten 46-ball 78 sealed an eight-wicket win. 

When they next met, Balkh posted 244/6 from their 20 overs - the highest score in the tournament so far, with Chris Gayle scoring 80 from 48 balls - they then conceded six Hazratullah Zazai sixes and a wide in one over but fought back to win by 23 runs.

It gave Balkh Legends the chance to rotate their players, and it did not pay off in a low-scoring defeat to Nangarhar Leopards - the Legends posting 133/7 and Nangarhar Leopards getting there with two overs to spare in a six-wicket win. They bounced back well, however, as Chris Gayle's 73 from 22 balls led the reply to 141/9 and an eventual win.

They then carried that form into the semi-final when they took on Nangarhar Leopards again. In that match, Darwish Rasooli (78 from 45 balls), Chris Gayle (54 from 30) and Mohammad Nabi (47 from 16) helped them set 235/5, before Nabi took four wickets as the Leopards.