MI New York and Texas Super Kings prepare for crucial Challenger

Less than 24 hours after their drubbing at the hands of Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings face yet another grueling challenge from MI New York. TSK bowling coach, Eric Simons downplayed the sensation about the big game by asserting how it is just a game of 120 balls of batting and bowling. But as witnessed over the years, high pressure knock out games is where careers are built, where character comes through.

TSK brushed aside MINY by 17 runs in their league encounter in front of a frenzied home crowd in Dallas. The run machine, Devon Conway brought some level of respectability to the TSK score with his 74, before the bowlers inspired by leg spinner Mohammad Mohsin’s twin strikes shut the door on MINY. The fans are expected to throng in numbers and reverberate the same buzz, as you expect with any Super Kings home game. However, the home team has punched below their weight in the tournament hitherto, their supporters would hope the Super Kings bring back their killer instincts for the final two games to lift the trophy, in a quintessential Super Kings way.

Plagued by issues at the top of the order, MI New York have been carried through in this tournament by their rollicking superstar international batsmen in Tim David, Nicholas Pooran and Keiron Pollard. The trio struck an astounding 38 sixes among them in 5 games before Pollard was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury. His replacement in the eleven, Dewald Brevis, having been rested for three games after his initial struggles, saved the blushes and the day for MINY with his counter attacking 57 off 41 deliveries after MINY found themselves at 26 for in the seventh over in the Eliminator game against Washington Freedom.

When:Texas Super Kings vs MI New York 7:30 CST

Where: Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas

What to expect:Quite dubiously the wicket seemed to be getting better with each passing ball under lights at the Grand Prairie stadium. TSK struggled with the dual paced wicket batting first but wicket may have altered it nature in the second innings as Quinton de Kock played some exquisite shots to come back to form.

Teams Watch

Texas Super Kings

TSK are still reeling with the absence of Dwayne Bravo in their eleven. He was seen performing some running drills after the game with the physio, possibly in an attempt to assess his fitness. With the game against MINY being the next day, it is a race against time for Bravo to come back to full fitness.

Probable XI: Faf du Plessis, Devon Conway, Cody Chetty, Milind Kumar, David Miller, Lahiru Milantha, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Mohsin, Calvin Savage, Rusty Theron

MI New York

MI are expected to remain unchanged after bringing in two changes to their line up in the Eliminator. While Pollard exclusion was a forced change, MINY quite interestingly brought in Steven Taylor in place of former Pakistan all rounder Hammad Azam and had him bat out of his position at 7.

Probable XI: Shayan Jahangir, Monank Patel, Nicholas Pooran, Dewald Brevis, Tim David, Steven Taylor, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Nosthush Kenjige, Trent Boult, Ehsan Adil

What they said:

“We didn’t bat well, obviously tricky wicket, you gotta get through first six overs. It does get a bit better after first 10. First six overs for the them was tricky too and then it got easier. We have to find a way and the learning here is to play the first ten overs. After a game like this, we don’t want to have an emotional response, just look at the things you can get better at” – Faf du Plessis after his side’s heavy loss in the first qualifier