Legends T20 League 2023

FINAL: WG vs AL

Preview

After the six league matches, now it is time for the final clash of the tournament between the Giants and the Lions. The final match of the Legends T20 League will be played between WG and AL on Monday, 20th March 2023, at 08:00 PM IST in West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha.

Shane Watson-led Giants secured the final spot courtesy of their position in the points table while AL beat IM in the Eliminator by 85 runs. Shahid Afridi led the Lions in the all-important game after Misbah had been at the helm for the last few matches. The skipper was impressive with the ball and had a variety of bowlers stepping up to the occasion.

The Giants ended their league on the top with 3 wins out of 4 matches in the tournament. Whereas, AL finished as the group runner-up with 2 wins out of 4 matches. WG has found back-to-back success after their loss against AL in their second game of the season. Hashim Amla, Kallis, and Chris Gayle were among the top scorers for World Giants in their recent outings.

However, the performances in the Giants’ lineup have been isolated. And WG desperately needs to improve as they face an in-form Lions’ batting order. AL delivered one of the best all-around performances of the season in their last match against IM. They will be mighty confident coming into the final.

Match Details

Match: WG vs AL, FINAL, Legends T20 League 2023

Date: Monday, March 20, 2023

Time: 8:00 PM

Venue: West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha

Pitch and Weather Report 

The venue is where WG will defend their title against AL in the final. It had been a low-scoring venue but the recent Eliminator match has raised the hopes of fans and experts alike. With big-hitting legends on both teams, the final can turn out to be a thriller. The team batting first should be looking at something over 180-185 to give themselves the best chance of winning the title.

For AL, all of their wins have come batting first. It is not easy to chase a total at this venue and they suffered a loss against WG chasing a 151-run target in their last encounter. Both teams would be keen on batting first and having runs on the board if they win the toss.

The maximum temperature will remain at 29°C, with a low of 21°C with 30% humidity, and a slow wind speed of 08 Km/hr for the final match between the Giants and the Lions on Mar 20. It will be clear skies on the match day in Doha and we can expect a full match without any rain interruption.

Squads

WG: Aaron Finch (c), Chris Gayle, Hashim Amla, Ross Taylor, Shane Watson, Albie Morkel, Jacques Kallis, Kevin O’Brien, Morne van Wyk, Brett Lee, Monty Panesar, Lendl Simmons, Paul Collingwood, Morne Morkel 

AL: Shahid Afridi (c), Muthiah Muralidaran, Asghar Afghan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Rajin Saleh, Abdul Razzaq, Paras Khadka, Thisara Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Abdur Razzak, Dilhara Fernando, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Amir

Probable Playing XIs

WG: Chris Gayle, Hashim Amla, Shane Watson (c), Jacques Kallis, Kevin O Brien, Morne van Wyk (wk), Samit Patel, Brett Lee, Tino Best, Chris Mpofu, Monty Panesar, Ricardo Powell

AL: Upul Tharanga (wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Thisara Perera, Asghar Afghan, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi (c), Sohail Tanvir, Paras Khadka, Abdur Razzak, Isuru Udana

Match Prediction

AL looks very promising with their recent win. However, we can’t overlook the fact that they dominated Gambhir's IM in the last league match, a relatively weaker side in this competition. In the final against WG, they will be up against a much tougher bowling attack that had outperformed their best batters in their last match.

But if they bat first, even with just a couple of batters rising to the occasion, the Shane Watson-led can put up a decent total that their bowlers would successfully defend. Overall, we reckon the Giants have a slight edge in the contest and hence, will start as favourites in our match prediction.

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