Kabul Zwanan vs Kandahar Knights Prediction

KZ Team News

Kabul Zwanan have continued to make tweaks to their bowling attack, opting to bring in lower-order batsman Shawkat Zaman for the last match in place of an out-an-out bowler in Zamir Khan. Khan had only just come in for Fitratullah Khawari in the previous game, while Zahir Shehzad has missed the last few games.

After being blown away by the Balkh Legends’ batting last time out, however, more changes can be expected. Colin Ingram conceded 32 runs in one over, while Fareed Ahmad and Muslim Musa were particularly expensive. With Ingram dropped down the batting order too, it may be time for him to make way for American bowler Ali Khan, who has not played since being expensive in the opening match. Given he turned out for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League before this venture, however, his pedigree has been proven before.

KZ Key Players

Hazratullah Zazai has made batting headlines during the APL 2018, as first he smashed the competition’s first century against Nangarhar Leopards – hitting 124 from just 55 balls in a seven-wicket win – before adding his name into the cricket record books with his six sixes in an over last time out. Hazratullah scored 62 from 17 balls in total, but it proved to be in a losing cause. Nevertheless, he is the competition’s top run scorer so far, with 271 runs in six innings. His strike rate is a phenomenal 211.71.

Team-mate Laurie Evans is not far behind, however, having hit three half-centuries in the first four games. The t20 Blast top scorer has carried on his form from the summer on his way to 228 runs in total so far.

Luke Ronchi appears to have found his form of late too – the New Zealander having hit his first APL half-century against Nangarhar Leopards before being dismissed for 47 last time out.

With the ball, Rashid Khan is the leading T20 international bowler in the world according to the ICC rankings. The Kabul captain has been more expensive than usual in recent matches, however.

Wayne Parnell is Kabul Zwanan’s leading wicket taker with six. He to has been expensive, but he was actually the pick of their bowlers last time out, taking 1-30 from four overs at an economy rate far lower than the rest of the team managed. Finally, Shahidullah has combined four wickets with some useful late-order runs with the bat. His 40 from 20 balls was too little too late last time out, however.

KZ Team Form

Kabul Zwanan have lost their last two matches, having won three of the first four before that. Winners on the opening day against Paktia Panthers thanks to Laurie Evans’ batting, Balkh Legends were the only team to beat Kabul in the first set of fixtures as Evans and Hazratullah Zazai scored plenty with the bat – including the latter’s century in a seven-wicket defeat of Nangarhar Leopards.

They lost to the Leopards second time around, however, as they finished on 167/9 despite Luke Ronchi’s 50 in reply to 182/5. And, last time out, they suffered a second defeat to Balkh Legends in a phenomenally high-scoring game. The Legends posted 244/6 batting first but Hazratullah Zazai’s six sixes in an over on his way to 62 from 17 balls ensured a good start to the chase. They could not keep it up, however, eventually finishing in 223/7. It was still the second-highest score of the tournament so far, three runs more than their match-winning tally from the opening night.