CPL 2020: Match 27, TKR vs SLZ, match preview, probable playing XI and prediction

The Trinbago Knight Riders will take on the St Lucia Zouks in the 27th match of CPL 2020 on Saturday, 5th September, at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad.

The results on Thursday have finalized the teams for the playoffs of the CPL, with Barbados Tridents and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots being the two teams that miss out.

The Knight Riders come into this match at the back of a win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, their eighth win of the campaign in as many games in the CPL. Unsurprisingly, they have secured the top place in the points table for this season in the CPL.

The Zouks, meanwhile, come into this game at the back of a loss against the Guyana Amazon Warriors and are placed third in the CPL points table, with five wins from eight games.

Both these sides can afford to give some of their key players some rest, so it might be difficult to predict their playing XIs for this CPL match.

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CPL 2020 TKR vs SLZ: Match Details

Date: Saturday, 5 September.

Time: 7:30 PM (IST), 2:00 PM (GMT), 10:00 AM (Local).

Venue: Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.

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Trinbago Knight Riders

Lendl Simmons finally got a big score.

The Trinbago Knight Riders strolled to a win over the Patriots despite the absence of key players like Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard. Lendl Simmons finally came good with a brilliant 96-run knock, which helped the Knight Riders post 174 runs on the board. The bowlers, especially the spinners, did a great job in restricting the Patriots, who finished with a score of just 115 in their 20 overs.

Pravin Tambe bowled a terrific spell at an economy of just 3.00, while Sikandar Raza snared three wickets.

DJ Bravo could be rested for this game with Pollard set to come back. The likes of Darren Bravo and Colin Munro could use a rest as well, with Tion Webster and Sunil Narine possibly replacing them.

Predicted Playing XI:

Sunil Narine/ Colin Munro, Lendl Simmons, Amir Jangoo, Tim Seifert (WK), Darren Bravo/ Tion Webster, Kieron Pollard (C), Sikandar Raza, Akeal Hosein, Khary Pierre, Pravin Tambe, and Anderson Philip.

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St Lucia Zouks

The Zouks should look to get a win in this match.

The St Lucia Zouks couldn't put enough runs on the board against the Warriors in their last CPL match, and Shimron Hetmyer's 56-run knock for the Guyana Amazon Warriors took the game away from them. Chemar Holder had a poor game with the ball, and he should be replaced by Obed McCoy or Zahir Khan for this match.

The likes of Rahkeem Cornwall and Mohammad Nabi continued with their consistent performances but didn't get enough support.

The side missed Roston Chase, who was out because of a niggle. He should come back into the side in place of Kavem Hodge.

Predicted Playing XI:

Rahkeem Cornwall, Andre Fletcher(WK), Leniko Boucher, Najibullah Zadran, Roston Chase, Mohammad Nabi, Javelle Glenn, Darren Sammy (C), Scott Kuggeleijn, Kesrick Williams, and Zahir Khan/ Obed McCoy.

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CPL Match Prediction

While both teams have secured their spot in the playoffs, the Zouks do have a point to prove after their loss in the previous game. The Knight Riders should rotate their team a bit for this match, and it could provide an opportunity for the Zouks to condemn them to their first defeat of the season.

Prediction: St Lucia Zouks to win the CPL match.