Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, L T20 2023, Today Match Prediction 19 August 2023

TKR vs SNP Match Prediction & Analysis

Trinbago Knight Riders finished at the bottom of the points table last year while St Kitts and Nevis Patriots were one place ahead with the same number of points.

The two will lock horns at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in their opening game of the season. TKR were among the strongest sides in L a few seasons ago and skipper Kieron Pollard will be hoping to take the team back to its dominant position in the competition.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have drafter Ambati Rayudu, an attacking middle-order batsman from India who’s played many impactful knocks for CSK in IPL. While there are very few all-rounders in their squad this year, they continue to have Evin Lewis and Dewald Brewis in the batting department.

Knight Riders, on the other hand, have replaced one Kiwi with another as they brought in Martin Guptill for Colin Munro. Dwayne Bravo, who led SNP last season will be seen in the TKR jersey this year.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

TKR

SNP

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Trinbago Knight Riders Preview

Trinbago Knight Riders have made a few changes to their squad while keeping the core intact. They’ve brought back Dwayne Bravo to the squad this year and have added strength to their hitting abilities with the inclusion of Rilee Rossouw.

Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and skipper Kieron Pollard continue to be part of this squad. These three are among the most experienced T20 cricketers in the squad and will be expected to get going right from the outset.

The in-from Nicholas Pooran will be coming here on the back of a good run against India in the T20Is and will be the key batsman to watch out for in the TKR lineup. 

On paper, TKR have a much stronger side than SNP and should be able to assert their dominance with the bat. In addition to the experienced West Indian players, Knight Riders also feature Martin Guptill who can be a great choice of opening batsman.

There is enough firepower in this squad to make a solid middle order and also feature big-hitting finishers in the lower order. There have been some major changes in the bowling attack as well.

Maheesh Pathirana comes into the side as Maheesh Theekshana goes out. Pathirana will be a key bowler at the death while Akeal Hossein and Noor Ahmed will lead the spin attack.

Trinbago Knight Riders Predicted Playing XI:

Martin Guptill, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard (c), Mark Deyal, Dwayne Bravo, Jayden Seales, Akeal Hossein, Maheesh Pathirana

Trinbago Knight Riders Actual Playing XI:

Dwayne Bravo, Martin Guptill, Chadwick Walton, Akeal Hosein, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Jayden Seales, Kadeem Alleyne, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mark Deyal

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots Preview

The skipper from last season has ed TKR this year and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will have a new captain. While it’s not clear yet as to who will lead the Patriots this season, we reckon Evin Lewis is more likely to get the job.

How quickly can Ambati Rayudu adapt to the conditions in Saint Lucia and start delivering what is expected of him as a middle-order batsman, only time will tell.

But it surely adds more strength to this batting SNP lineup that also features the likes of Evin Lewis and Dewald Brewis. Lewis has played plenty of franchise league and international cricket. He was a consistent performer for MI at one time and will be the key batsman in this match as well.

Sherfane Rutherford and George Linde are the only all-rounders in the squad for SNP this season. Both of them are crucial with the bat while Linde can also deliver with the ball. 

Another big-hitting batsman from South Africa who s SNP this year is Tristan Stubbs. He is the third wicket-keeper in the squad that already has Andre Fletcher and Joshua Da Silva.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots bring a strong pace attack with Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, and Dominic Drakes. In the spin department, Yannic Cariah will be the one to watch out for with his leg-break bowling.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots Predicted Playing XI:

Evin Lewis (c), Andre Fletcher (wk), Dewald Brewis, Ambati Rayudu, Sherfane Rutherford, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic Drakes, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Yannic Cariah, Corbin Bosch

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots Actual Playing XI:

George Linde, Evin Lewis, Dominic Drakes, Joshua Da Silva, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Fletcher, Corbin Bosch, Oshane Thomas, Ambati Rayudu, Blessing Muzarabani

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch is quite batting-friendly as is evident by the previous matches here. Bowlers can also find some assistance from the surface and it will allow for an exciting contest between the bat and the ball. Showers are expected in Gros Islet on the match day with a high of 31 degrees Celsius.

TKR vs SNP Pitch Report

Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia will be the venue for this match. The first 6 games of the season will be played at this venue. The average 1st innings score on this ground is 160 runs. And we reckon the team batting first should be looking at something over 185-190 to give themselves a good chance of staying on top of the game.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams bowling first have won 22 of the 35 domestic T20s played at this venue. The opening game of the season saw Jamaica Tallahwahs defend 187 runs but it wasn’t out of reach for Saint Lucia Kings who fell short by 11 runs. TKR have a deep lineup with well-known finishers in their side and will be comfortable chasing any total on this ground.