National T20 Cup 2021: Match 16, Sindh vs Central Punjab - Preview, predicted XIs, pitch report, weather forecast, match prediction and live streaming details

In the 16th match of the National T20 Cup, Sindh will lock horns against Central Punjab at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

Sindh are placed at the top of the table, with eight points to their name. They are coming off a win in their previous game against Northern. In a rain-curtailed game, Sarfaraz Ahmed’s men won by three runs.

After being asked to bat first, Sindh posted 176 runs on the board, courtesy of a fabulous knock from Sharjeel Khan. He scored 64 runs off 43 balls, helping his side post a competitive total. The Sindh bowlers then followed up with good lines and lengths to restrict the Northern side to 62/3 in 7.3 overs until the rain arrived. With no further play possible, Sindh won the game by three runs as per the D/L method.

Central Punjab, meanwhile, are placed fourth with two wins and as many losses so far in the tournamnet. They suffered a loss against Northern in their previous clash. It was a close-fought contest, where the Central Punjab side failed to hold their nerves in the end.

On the back of a sensational knock from Babar Azam, Central Punjab posted a mammoth total of 200 runs. The captain remained unbeaten on a scintillating 105 off just 63 balls. What followed was a disappointing show from their bowlers, though, as they failed to defend the total. Northern romped home with two balls to spare to hand Central Punjab their second defeat in the competition.

Match Details

Match: Sindh vs Central Punjab, Match No.16, National T20 Cup 2021.

Date and Time: October 2nd 2021, Saturday, 08:00 PM IST.

Venue: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Weather Report

The temperature in Rawalpindi on Saturday is expected to range between 22 and 29 degrees Celsius. There is a heavy chance of rain, so we might witness rain-interruptions during the course of the match.

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is very good for batting. We have seen teams chase down big totals successfully. Expect the surface to stay true during this game too.

Predicted Playing XIs

Sindh

The Sindh outfit has looked good so far. Their players have stepped up in crunch situations as they sit at the top of the table. Sharjeel Khan is looking good at the top of the order, so other batters will hope to step up in the clash against Central Punjab.

Predicted XI: Shan Masood, Sharjeel Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Danish Aziz, Anwar Ali, Rumman Raees, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahini, Zahid Mahmood.

Central Punjab

It was a poor performance from the Central Punjab bowlers, as they failed to defend 200 runs in their last game. The bowlers need to put in a much-improved performance in their next outing. Azam will be eager to continue his rich form with the bat.

Predicted XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam (c), Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Shoaib Malik, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Qasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Usman Qadir, Ehsan Adil.

Match Prediction

Sindh are coming off a win in their previous game, whereas Central Punjab lost their last fixture. Both sides look strong on paper, so it promises to be a cracker of a contest. Sindh have looked good so far, so Central Punjab need to be at its best to turn the tables around.

Sindh have the winning momentum behind them, so one can expect them to come out on top against Central Punjab on Saturday.