UAE vs Kuwait: The Gulf Cricket T20I Championship 2024 reaches its grand finale with hosts UAE taking on a spirited Kuwait. UAE has been dominant throughout the tournament, boasting an impressive track record. Kuwait, however, has proven to be a team capable of surprises, making this final a highly anticipated clash.
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
- Date & Time: Saturday, December 21, 2024, 19:30
- Series: Gulf Cricket T20I Championship, 2024
Pitch Report
The Dubai pitch traditionally offers assistance to batters early on, with spinners likely to dominate in the middle overs. The average first-innings score of 147 suggests competitive totals, though chasing has been challenging. With 23 wins for teams batting first in 35 matches, the toss could play a critical role.
Pitch Stats: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
- Total Matches Played: 35
- Batting First Wins: 23 (65.7%)
- Batting Second Wins: 12 (34.3%)
- Ties: 0
Scoring Pattern:
- Below 150: 17 matches
- 150-169: 12 matches
- 170-189: 6 matches
- Above 190: 0 matches
Highest Score: Afghanistan 189/5
Lowest Score: UAE 73/10
Head-to-Head
- Matches Played: 7
- UAE Wins: 6
- Kuwait Wins: 1
- Win Percentage: UAE (85.71%), Kuwait (14.29%)
UAE has a clear upper hand historically, but finals often have a way of defying statistics.
Last 5 Meetings
- 16-Dec-2024: UAE won by 11 runs
- 12-Apr-2024: UAE won by 7 wickets
- 31-Oct-2023: UAE won by 5 wickets
- 19-Sep-2023: UAE won by 31 runs
- 21-Aug-2022: Kuwait won by 1 wicket
Form Guide
- UAE (Last 5 Matches): W, W, W, W, L
- Kuwait (Last 5 Matches): W, L, L, W, W
Key Players to Watch
United Arab Emirates:
- Muhammad Waseem (C): The explosive opener with a strike rate of 161.16.
- Asif Khan: Consistent middle-order batter averaging 35.
- Junaid Siddique: Tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets.
Kuwait:
- Usman Patel: Averaging 99.33 with a strike rate of 162.84, the backbone of Kuwait’s batting.
- Meet Bhavsar: A reliable wicketkeeper-batter.
- Yasin Patel: A key bowler with 15 wickets and an economy of 5.68.
UAE vs Kuwait Playing XI
United Arab Emirates:
Muhammad Waseem (c), Tanish Suri (wk), Alishan Sharafu, Asif Khan, Rahul Chopra, Dhruv Parashar, Ali Naseer, Zuhaib Zubair, Simranjeet Kang, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah
Kuwait:
Meet Bhavsar (wk), Ravija Sandaruwan, Clinto Anto, Muhammad Umar, Mohammed Aslam (c), Bilal Tahir, Yasin Patel, Adnan Idrees, Sayed Monib, Mohamed Shafeeq, Mirza Ahmed
Fantasy XI Suggestions
Wicketkeepers:
- Meet Bhavsar (KUW)
- Tanish Suri (UAE)
Batters:
- Muhammad Waseem (UAE)
- Asif Khan (UAE)
- Usman Patel (KUW)
All-rounders:
- Mohammed Aslam (KUW)
- Ali Naseer (UAE)
- Adnan Idrees (KUW)
Bowlers:
- Junaid Siddique (UAE)
- Yasin Patel (KUW)
- Muhammad Jawadullah (UAE)
UAE vs Kuwait Prediction
UAE enters as favorites given their superior form, home advantage, and head-to-head dominance. Kuwait’s recent resurgence and the presence of match-winners like Usman Patel make them a formidable underdog. If Kuwait can exploit early breakthroughs, this could be a closely contested final.
- Prediction: UAE to win by a slim margin.
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