Holder's Lions Against Boult's New Ball — Day Two Starts With Two New Franchises

Both sides are among the new franchises in a rebuilt league, so there is no history and no table to speak of yet: at most one game each. That makes this an early test of which squad comes together faster. The Lions are built around Jason Holder, with David Willey, James Vince, Dasun Shanaka and Akeal Hosein giving them all-round depth. The Eagles, led by Rovman Powell, have Shimron Hetmyer and Alex Hales for power and Trent Boult with the new ball. In ten overs, a side that loses two wickets in the first two overs rarely recovers, and that is what makes Boult so valuable here.

This is the first game of the day, in the late-afternoon heat, so dew should not be a big factor. Zayed Cricket Stadium usually offers a true surface and fairly long straight boundaries, which rewards hitting square of the wicket. The opening night will have shown how the pitch plays, and both captains will have taken notes.

The XIs will only be known at the toss, and with players arriving from other leagues, both sides could change after Saturday. A possible core for the Lions: Vince, Willey, Shanaka, Holder, Hosein, McCoy, Malinga and UAE batter Khuzaima Tanveer. For the Eagles: Hales, Hetmyer, Powell, Green, KS Bharat (wk), Rehan Ahmed and Boult. These are the likeliest names, not a certainty.

The Lions have more all-rounders and more ways to cover a bad over. The Eagles have the best new-ball bowler in the match and two finishers who can win a game in 12 balls. In T10 the new ball matters a lot, so the Eagles might just start as slight favourites. But if Willey and Vince get through Boult's first spell, the Lions could easily turn it around.

Yas Lions vs Emirates Eagles, Abu Dhabi T10 2026, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi — Sunday, November 8, 3:30 PM GST / 5:00 PM IST.