Champions League 2014 Match 17 prediction: Punjab (62%) expected to defeat Cobras (38%)

By Shashi Mittal On September 27, 2014

Prediction methodology

Prediction: Punjab (62%) predicted to defeat Cobras (38%) (Match scorecard)

Team form

Kings XI Punjab: The Kings XI have won all of their three matches so far, and in a fairly emphatic fashion too, against Hobart Hurricanes, Barbados Tridents and Northern Districts.
Cape Cobras: The Cobras have struggled in this tournament, losing their first two matches to Northern Districts and Hobart Hurricanes respectively, and barely winning their last match in the super-over against Barbados Tridents after the match finished in a tie in the regular overs.

The big picture

The Kings XI are already through to the semi-final stage, but would still want to maintain their momentum and win the final match to end up at the top of the table. The Cape Cobras are currently in the third position in the points table, but still have an outside chance of making it to the next stage. However, for this they will need to win this match against the in-form Kings XI Punjab, plus hope that the results of the other matches in their group also go their way.

Venue

An interesting fact about Mohali is that it is one of the few venues where the fast bowlers have performed better than the spinners, at least in the T20 format. However, in this tournament, the leg- spinners (batting average 10.0) have certainly had a much better success as compared to the fast bowlers (batting average 21.0), while the off-spinners have struggled mightily (50.7). However, neither of the two teams have genuine fast bowlers or leg spinners, and therefore will be relying on their medium pacers and spinners to restrict the opposition score.

Prediction

Is there anything that can stop the juggernaut of Punjab? They have annihilated all of their opponents so far, and their batting looks rock solid. Apart from stalwarts like David Miller and Greg Maxwell, they have also had useful cameos from lower-order batsmen such as Thisara Perera. Their current form reminds of their superb performance in the first half of the IPL this year, however they did struggle a little bit in the second half mainly because of the poor performance of their bowling attack. They are the clear favorites to win this match, and for the Cobras it will be an uphill task to defeat Punjab and continue staying relevant in this tournament.