With a semifinal spot on the line, Lahore Lions will come out all guns blazing in its final Oppo Champions League T20 league encounter, against Perth Scorchers here on Tuesday.
The team from Pakistan needs a big win against Perth, which will allow it to push Chennai Super Kings (CSK) out of the last-four. Perth, however, has no chance of making it past the league stage.
“If we bat second, we must chase down the target in 14.3 overs. If we bat first, we need to win by at least 47 runs,” Lahore all-rounder Saad Nasim explained.
This task will not be easy. The Australians (one win and two losses) have run both Kolkata Knight Riders (who are assured of a semifinal spot) and CSK close; the points table does not do justice to its efforts.
For Lahore, an inspired performance from batsman-wicketkeeper Umar Akmal could well turn out to be the push to get the team over the hump. In the previous match - a 16-run win over the Dolphins at the same venue - the Pakistan international was in his element, stepping down and tonking the pacers during his unbeaten 45-ball 73. Another typically confident show from the 24-year-old represents Lahore’s best chance of dismantling the strong opposition.
Pride at stake Later in the day, Barbados Tridents meets Northern Knights, in a match between two sides with little but pride to play for.
Tridents arrives in Bangalore without a single win in Group ‘B’, its fate in the competition sealed by defeat to Hobart Hurricanes in Mohali on Sunday.
The Kiwis, meanwhile, began their CLT20 journey in triumphant fashion, winning all three qualifiers, but the tournament proper has proved a disappointment. Victory over Cobras was followed by two defeats.
There was some turn for the spinners at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during the matches held on Saturday evening, but a different pitch will be in use this time. With the burden of expectation off their shoulders, Knights and Tridents will hope to put on an exhibition of high-scoring.