CLT20 2012 final: Key players to watch out for : Mitchell Starc

Gulam Bodi

Bodi has been a surprise package of the 2012 Champions League Twenty20. With so many stars representing several teams, Bodi’s name was not even considered to be in the top run-getters list. But there he is.

With a mix of aggression and sensibility, Bodi is now the highest run-getter in the tournament. He has scored 19, 64, 61, 8 and 50 in the last five innings and the Lions would want him to bat the same way in the high-voltage final match as well.

Aaron Phangiso

If the Highveld Lions, go on to win the tournament, Phangiso might bag the Man of the Series award. He has been an integral part of the Lions side right through the tournament with his accurate line and length. There was no stopping him once he bowled Tendulkar in their first match of the Champions League Twenty20.

He has got breakthroughs for his side whenever he was handed over the responsibility. He has so far picked 10 wickets in the tournament and the only time he went wicket less was in the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders. The entire team would want him to continue his good run even in the final match.

Chris Morris

The commentators have always found themselves short of words for this tall South African and he lived up to expectations in the previous match against the Delhi Daredevils where he conceded just 7 runs in 4 overs and scalped two wickets.

The home advantage will be with the right-arm pacer and with an improved line and length; he can definitely bother the Sydney Sixers batsmen. Morris was the top wicket-taker in South Africa`s domestic Twenty20 competition last season and he would want to end his CLT20 campaign with a bang!

Pat Cummins

The 19-year-old has been predicted to be the ‘next big thing’ in Australian cricket but Cummins hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations in this Champions League as he has managed to pick just 8 wickets from six matches and his line and length hasn’t been accurate as a result of which he has conceded a lot of runs.

But the talented pacer who played a major role with the bat as well against the Titans to take his side into the final will now be high on confidence and the Lions would be wary of the damage he can cause early in the innings with his pace and bounce.

Moises Henriques

The 25-year-old all-rounder has delivered in all the crunch scenarios for his side. Henriques started his CLT20 campaign on a confident note as he first picked three wickets and then scored an unbeaten 49 from 23 balls to help his side defeat the Chennai Super Kings in their second match.

Henriques has picked up 9 wickets and has scored 86 runs on four occasions. The Sixers would want him to put in another formidable show in the final.

Mitchell Starc

Starc has been the backbone of the Sydney Sixers bowling attack and with his pace and accuracy, he has outdone Pat Cummins in most of the matches. Haddin has used him pretty well in the death overs and apart from the previous match where David Wiese played a blinder, Starc has done an excellent job for the Sixers.

According to a very interesting fact, Starc is the leading wicket-taker not just in the tournament, but in all Twenty20s this year, with an astonishing 56 wickets in 26 matches. Starc would for sure want another feather in his cap by winning the Champions Leage title for his side.

by Suyash Srivastava