BPS vs SML 16th Match Prediction

BPS vs SML Team Previews

Belagavi Panthers

Belgavi Panthers had a poor start to the tournament, failing to do anything of substance in any of their first three matches. They managed to register a win in their fourth match, their last game, on the back of a superb performance by their bowlers and consequently moved up the ladder to the fifth spot. Even though they have just three points to their name, an excellent net run-rate of +1.1 should give them a bit of comfort should things get tight towards the end of the league stage.

Belgavi Panthers' batting looked a little fragile on paper before the arrival of Manish Pandey, but now that he has joined, the difference is well and truly apparent. He immediately made a difference to their batting as he smacked a superb 102 not-out, albeit in a losing cause, followed by a brilliant 58 as the Panthers rampaged past Blasters by eight wickets. Apart from him, however, their batting hasn't looked convincing at all and will need to step up with next few matches being crucial in the context of qualification for the next round.

Contrary to their batting, their bowling has done pretty well so far with Zahoor Farooqi and Rithesh Bhatkal being picks of their bowlers. In their last match as well, the Panthers did exceedingly well to restrict Bengaluru Blasters to just 110 in 20 overs before their batsmen chased down the total with remarkable ease. MB Darshan returned with the stupendous figures of 3 for 27 in his four overs. Their batting sealed the deal with eight wickets in hand and more than eight overs to spare.

Shivamogga Lions

Just a couple of days ago, Shivamogga Lions were supremely placed at the top of the table, but a loss to Bellary Tuskers has pushed them to the second spot in the points table. They've won three of their four matches and have six points to their name. A massive loss in their previous game, to Bellary Tuskers, hampered their net run-rate as it slid from +0.982 to -0.29.

For the Lions, their batting has done pretty well with Nihal Ullal being their key batsmen. He has scored over 150 runs in four innings and will be a key player for the Lions in the upcoming fixture. Alongside him, the addition of Pavan Deshpande has made a massive difference as compared to their last year's campaign. Deshpande continued to build on his superb form in the tournament as he smashed 46 off just 37 deliveries, albeit in a losing cause.

On the bowling front, however, the Lions have looked dismal at times. It was apparent in their previous match as well wherein despite making early inroads; their bowlers failed to contain the Tuskers as K Gowtham ripped apart their bowling. Barring T Pradeep, who has six wickets to his name in the tournament so far, none of their bowlers have been effective, which will be a considerable cause of concern for their management.

Akshay Ballal returned to their playing eleven in the previous match, and even though the Lions failed to emerge on top, we expect them to take the same playing eleven in the next game. Overall, the Lions have a pretty good side on paper, and if their bowling can complement their in-form batting, they can be a force to deal with.