Match 7 of the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2019 will take place between Mysuru Warriors and Belagavi Panthers at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. Both teams have not tasted victory in the tournament so far – The Warriors however have a point on the board courtesy of their washed out game against Bengaluru Blasters, but tasted defeat in their second game against Shivamogga Lions. The Panthers on the other hand have played just one match so far – against Bellary Tuskers – which they lost by 5 runs. 

In their first match against the Blasters, Mysuru Panthers were in a good position as they had reduced their opposition to 88 for 3 in 13 overs, until the match was called off due to rain. Jagadeesha Suchith with 3 for 13 was the star for Mysuru and will be a key figure in this match as well. Belagavi Panthers in their tournament opener against the Tuskers did not bat particularly well while chasing a modest 144 and will look to rectify it. The impending return of Manish Pandey will certainly boost their batting unit. 

Team Combination 

Considering this will be the second match of the day, there might be some wear and tear in the pitch which might assist the spinners as they have a chance to trouble the batsmen by pitching the ball in the rough. However, with the pitch having been kept under covers, for majority of the time overnight, we could see the pacers getting some assistance if there is some moisture. The teams should ideally go in with three fast bowlers and a spinner. However, it will be an added bonus if their all-rounder is also a spinner, which will give the team a good balance.  

Captain 

The return of Manish Pandey is no doubt a huge boost for the Panthers. Pandey is fresh from being part of the Indian team, than clinched the T20I series in the Caribbean. 

Jagadeesha Suchith, who bagged three wickets in the first match will be an excellent choice as well. He has a strike-rate of more than 170 in the tournament and his left-arm orthodox could be handy for his side in the middle overs. 

All-rounder Amit Verma, who has close to 1,000 runs in KPL and 40-plus wickets with his leg-break is a veteran as far as this tournament is concerned. With his consistency with both bat and ball over the years, he could be the player, who could very well fetch you maximum points. 

X-Factor 

With a strike-rate of 140 and a handy off-spinner, Aniruddha Joshi of Mysuru Warriors could turn out to be a match-winner. In his previous match against Shivamogga, he scored a handy 26 and also picked up a wicket. 

Despite KV Siddharth’s 54-ball 77 against Namma Shivamogga, his side ended up on the losing side. However, his boundary hitting abilities will not just come in handy for his team but also for you, if you squeeze him in your team. 

20-year-old Zahroor Farooqi got the big wickets of CM Gautam and Krishnappa Gowtham to finish with impressive figures of 2 for 28 from four overs. A repeat of this performance today will once again put his team in a commanding position.

Weather and pitch 

As far as the weather is concerned, rain could once again play spoilsport. It has already played a huge part in a couple of matches in the tournament already and we can expect some light showers even during this match. Talking about the pitch, the continuous rains have not let the pitch dry up and as a result, there could be some moisture for the fast bowlers to dictate the proceedings. 

At Chinnaswamy in KPL, the team chasing has won 36, lost 33, while two matches have ended in no results and one match was tied. While the overall record tilts in the favour of the chasing side, in this edition of the KPL however, the chasing side have lost four, while won just two. Batting first could be the way to go, but considering the weather, the captains might be inclined to chasing.