HTS vs BNB Team Previews

Hubli Tigers

Just like the Blasters, Hubli Tigers too have four points to their name, thanks to a couple of wins. While they too need to win this upcoming encounter to have any chance whatsoever to qualify for the next round, they wouldn't really be too worried about the margin of win. They have a net run rate of -0.593 and a victory of decent margin should be enough to push them through. In case Shivamogga Lions fail to win their encounter, the Tigers will go through regardless of the margin of their win.

They are coming off a heavy defeat at the hands of Mysuru Warriors in their previous encounter which highlighted their vulnerabilities in both the departments of the game. Batting first, Hubli Tigers could score just 151 runs in the allotted 20 overs, riding on a superb half-century by Praveen Dubey. Their bowlers, however, failed to make any mark whatsoever as they gave away the total in just 16 overs.

All in all, Hubli Tigers have a well-balanced side, but lack of consistency in their performances has cost them up until now. They have a chance to redeem themselves in the upcoming match and qualify for the next round. It would be interesting to see how they fare in a must-win encounter on Tuesday.

Bengaluru Blasters

The Blasters have played five matches in the tournament so far and have registered just one win. Thanks to a win and a couple of washouts, they have four points to their name, but the margins of their victories have been pretty slim as compared to what that have been in their losses, resulting in an extremely poor net run rate of -2.043.

For them to qualify for the next round, they'd not only need to register a massive win in this upcoming fixture but will also want Bijapur Bulls to beat Shivamogga Lions in the second match of the day.

The Blasters are coming into this match with a couple of poor batting performances in back to back matches. Against Bellary Tuskers, which was a rain-inflicted encounter, their batsmen could put just 93 runs on the board in 16 overs for the loss of eight wickets. In their subsequent match, which was also their previous encounter, their batsmen failed to do anything of substance yet again as they managed to put a total of just 110 runs on the board. Belgavi Panthers chased down their total with remarkable ease, with more than eight overs to spare, which also did plenty of damage to their net run rate.

All in all, Bengaluru Blasters have struggled in all departments of the game in the tournament so far, more so in the past couple of matches. They have a steep hill to climb tomorrow for them to not only topple Hubli Tigers but also by a massive margin.